The Los Angeles Lakers' postseason hopes are on the brink of vanishing entirely. Even with his team's collective back pressed harder than ever against the proverbial wall of elimination, though, LeBron James just isn't healthy enough to play.
Shams Charania of The Athletic and STADIUM reports that the four-time champion will miss Los Angeles' crucial matchup with the Denver Nuggets on Sunday while continuing to nurse a nagging ankle injury.
Lakers star LeBron James will be out today vs. Nuggets as he deals with nagging ankle injury, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. The Lakers are currently one game behind San Antonio for the final Play-In spot.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 3, 2022
James twisted his left ankle in the first half of the Lakers' season-changing loss to the New Orleans Pelicans a week ago. He stayed in the game, finishing with a game-high 39 points, but admitted afterward his ankle felt “horrible.”
The 37-year-old didn't play in Los Angeles' next two games, both losses. He returned on Friday for another massive tilt with New Orleans, dropping 38 points in a last-second loss.
James and the Lakers are currently 11th in the Western Conference, losing five straight games to fall to 31-46. Though the long-awaited return of Anthony Davis provides optimism, time is running out for Los Angeles to right the ship. The Lakers trail the San Antonio Spurs by one game for the last spot in the play-in tournament with five left to play, and Gregg Popovich's team owns the tie-breaker.
Follow Us
Subscribe