KEY POINTS

  • LeBron James re-injures the same ankle that kept him out for 20 games
  • The Lakers are currently evaluating James' health status
  • The Lakers may end up in the play-in tournament as they continue to lose games in the regular season

LeBron James is injured again, meaning he could be missing more games once more for the Los Angeles Lakers.

The 36-year-old did not finish their game against the Toronto Raptors due to a sore right ankle.

It is the same one he sprained in March that forced him to miss 20 games.

The Lakers went on to lose to the Raptors, 121-114. However, James had a good showing but exited with 6:42 left in the contest.

It was announced in the final minute of the game that the four-time NBA champion would not return.

Furthermore, the defeat at the hand of the Raptors was the third-straight loss for the Lakers, who are now 36-28 in the Western Conference, placing them in a precarious situation.

If they are not careful, the defending NBA champions could find themselves in the play-in tournament, something that Anthony Davis cautioned if they don’t play with some sense of desperation.

But for now, Lakers head coach Frank Vogel is more concerned about the status of James.

In the latest update, the mentor bared that they will see how the four-time NBA MVP is feeling before they face the Denver Nuggets.

For now, the team is taking a cautious approach as the season reaches the home stretch.

LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers r
LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers Getty Images | Kevork Djansezian

As mentioned in a previous post, James also mentioned that he may no longer be able to get back to 100% shape for the rest of his NBA career.

With that being said, it appears Vogel will need to get the most out of his other stars if they aim to win it all this season.

RELATED STORIES
NBA