Just before the Los Angeles Lakers fan could cherish the return of their superstar, LeBron James, back to the squad, the four-time champion, unfortunately, will have to sit for two games once again after his lingering ankle issues.
After returning to action last week following a 20-game absence, LeBron appeared against Sacramento Kings on Friday, followed by their Sunday clash against Toronto Raptors as Lakers suffered losses in both fixtures.
Despite his six-week hiatus to recover his injured ankle, LeBron was unable to finish the Raptors game and after clocking 19 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists against the Raptors, left the court 6 minutes and 42 seconds before the game was over and was absent on Monday as Lakers held off Denver Nuggets at Staples Center.
LeBron to miss Clippers and Blazers clash as ankle issues linger
Now, a report from Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN cites that the reigning NBA Finals MVP will be missing Lakers’ upcoming two games, first against local rivals Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday, followed by their journey to Portland to face the Trail Blazers on Friday.
The absence of LeBron as well as their fellow stalwart Alphonso Davis has been a massive blow to the Lakers’ performance this season. While LeBron has made 43 appearances so far this year, Davis has made only 29 and without their presence on the court, the Lakers have already been dropping points as well as their position on the Western Conference table.
Lakers are currently at 6th position in the table, with 37 wins and 28 losses and a .569 pct which they currently share with Dallas Mavericks who are just above them at the 5th spot. However, with the frequent absence of LeBron in their ranks, the path to the offseason could be getting more and more difficult for the defending champions.
James is currently clocking an average of 25.0 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 7.8 assists per game this season so far, added with a 51.3% shooting. He had injured his ankle back on 20th March against Atlanta Hawks at home.
In the second quarter of the match, a tussle with Hawks’ Solomon Hill while fighting for a loose ball resulted in Hill falling on LeBron’s ankle and the 36-year-old, who was visibly in pain, had to be escorted off the court after just 11 minutes of play.
