"It will be hard to keep him out"- Darvin Ham does not expect LeBron James to sit-out of Game 3 despite turning his ankle
LeBron James hurt his ankle on multiple plays during the LA Lakers' 108-103 Game 2 loss to the Denver Nuggets on Thursday. He was visibly in pain with the possible injury. Those concerns flared up further when he failed to produce down the stretch, scoring only four points in the fourth.
James also missed a couple of open dunks and layups he generally makes during the contest. His potential injury knocks were one of the critical talking points after the game. According to Lakers coach Darvin Ham, James got evaluated but is unlikely to miss Game 3 at home. Here's what he said (via ESPN's Dave McMenamin):
“It will be hard to keep him out”
Darvin Ham says LeBron James was being evaluated after Game 2 but “it will be hard to keep him out” of Game 3.
James may have to play through the injury as the Lakers are playing in a do-or-die situation in Game 3 at home. Since it's the team with first to four wins, being down 0-3 takes away the Lakers' shot at any possible comeback, considering how lethal the Denver Nuggets have been in these playoffs.
LeBron James struggles in the fourth quarter as Lakers blow double-digit lead in Game 2
LeBron James had a fourth quarter to forget during Thursday's Game 2. James just scored four points in the final 12 minutes of the game. He bricked three 3-point attempts during that stretch, going 0-for-6 overall from deep in the game. James' rough patch gave the Denver Nuggets the room to not only tie the game but take a 12-point lead with five minutes left.
Jamal Murray stole the show in the second half, mainly in the fourth quarter. He scored 23 of his 37 points in the final 12 minutes, going four-of-five from deep, six-of-seven overall and seven-of-eight from the FT line.
The Nuggets started the fourth quarter on a 20-6 run, which swung the ti in their favor. The Lakers had led by 11 points earlier in the game. Denver capitalized on LA's lean stretches in the second half. The Lakers went 8-of-30 from deep and 43.9% overall, while the Nuggets shot 43.8% but made 14 3-pointers.
LeBron James' struggles were even more visible in the fourth period, which could be due to the ankle injury he sustained earlier in the second half. However, the 38-year-old issued a positive response when asked about his availability in Game 3.
"I'll be fine," said James.
LeBron on his ankle tweak late: “I’ll be fine.”
LeBron added that the Nuggets won the game at the 3-point line in the 4th Q, but said that four of the five makes were contested, some to beat the shot clock. Not defensive breakdowns.
“That killed us.”
The Lakers will need James close to his best to overturn this series with the team down 0-2. LA will hope to continue their home dominance in Games 3 and 4 and level the series.
Also read: "AD and Lebron sold tonight"- Lakers fans are livid with LeBron James and Anthony Davis after a miserable performance in Game 2