The Los Angeles Lakers lost their veteran leader in LeBron James to an ankle injury midway through their game against the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday. After absorbing a tough loss, Lakers forward Kyle Kuzma claimed that they all have to step up in their respective roles while James remains on the sidelines for the time being.
Via the Lakers' YouTube channel:
James finished the contest with 10 points, four assists, and a rebound through 10 minutes played before he went down on the floor while holding his ankle in pain. Montrezl Harrell eventually took most of the scoring load in the absence of James by finishing with 23 points and 11 rebounds.
The four-time MVP's contributions were, of course, greatly missed on the floor. Also without their other All-Star player in Anthony Davis, the Purple and Gold succumbed to a 99-94 defeat against the Hawks.
With the upset victory, the Atlanta-based squad further improved to an 8-0 tally under interim head coach Nate McMillan. The Hawks' strong surge now has them at 22-20 record to nab the fifth spot in the Eastern Conference.
James was eventually ruled out indefinitely after rolling his right ankle. However, he did travel with the team as they headed to face the Phoenix Suns on Sunday night, which could serve as a positive indication regarding his condition.
Kyle Kuzma and the rest of his teammates will have to put out stronger performances in their coming games in order to maintain their grip on the third spot in the Western Conference amid LeBron James' injury situation.
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