On Tuesday, a Lebron James foot injury meant the Lakers played without him in their game against Memphis. Unfortunately, they lost the game 121-109, with Ja Morant scoring 28 of his 39 points in the third quarter. In addition to James, Lakers guard D’Angelo Russell missed his second game due to a right ankle sprain.
Lebron James foot injury with be a tough blow as he played a significant role in the Lakers’ 111-108 win against Dallas on Sunday, playing for 37 minutes and helping his team recover from a 27-point deficit, non the less he left the arena limping. A video from The Dallas Morning News showed that the injury was affecting him.
During the game, James injured his foot in the third quarter and had to spend some time on the floor in obvious pain. However, he continued playing, stating that the game’s importance and the momentum they had gained were too crucial for him to quit.
James is the Lakers’ leading scorer, with 29.5 points per game, and stated earlier this month at the All-Star break that the final stretch of the season would be crucial for his team. He does not want to miss the playoffs for the second consecutive year.
Currently, the Lakers are in 11th place in the Western Conference, with a one-game gap from the 10th position, the final spot in the Play-In Tournament. The team is only two games behind Dallas in the race for seventh. Each conference guarantees playoff berths to the top six teams.
The question is will Lebron James foot injury keep him out for longer than 3 weeks at this crucial stage in the season?
The Lakers have ten of their next 12 games at home, trailing the sixth-seeded LA Clippers by 2 1/2 games, and then closing the season with five of their last seven games on the road. Without James, who is a 19-time All-Star playing in his 20th NBA season, the team’s task of qualifying for the playoffs will become significantly more challenging.
Check out our other sports related foot stories here