With LeBron James out, another big-time scorer may also sit.
Your Los Angeles Lakers had been trending up in recent days. As winners of three straight games and four of their last five, LA had appeared totally revitalized following a series of trades that served to positionally balance the roster on both ends.
Unfortunately, the body count for LA is now mounting.
First, new starting point guard D’Angelo Russell stepped on Golden State Warriors reserve shooting guard Donte DiVincenzo’s foot, badly rolling his ankle. He was ruled out for Sunday’s game, an exciting 111-108 comeback win against the Dallas Mavericks.
Yesterday was not without its own injury casualties, however, as All-Star LA forward LeBron James, who has been dealing with a sore left foot for months, aggravated his right foot during the game’s third quarter. He played through the pain to finish out the game and help secure a critical victory, but it appears to have come at a cost.
James has now been ruled out for several weeks with that foot injury.
Now, it appears that Russell’s right ankle sprain is lingering. Mike Trudell of Lakers.com reports that D-Lo is considered doubtful to play for Los Angeles Tuesday against the West’s No. 2 seeded Memphis Grizzlies, the first of an LA back-to-back set (the team also plays the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday). Star center Anthony Davis, too, is only probable to play as he continues to recover from his right foot stress injury.
These mounting ailments could derail the team’s progress. The 29-32 Lakers currently occupy the 12th seed in the Western Conference, and are looking to move into the top 10 this week. They’ll need every win they can get.
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