LeBron James injury update: What did the LA Lakers star man say about his injury on his comeback after missing three games?
LeBron James and the new LA Lakers roster officially made their debut Wednesday night against the New Orleans Pelicans. James' return was limited to playing in under 30 minutes due to a left ankle injury. Despite missing three games since Feb. 9, LBJ put on an efficient performance. He added 21 points, six rebounds, six assists and one block in 29 minutes of play.
Thankfully, LeBron James confirmed that his ankle injury isn't as bad. After undergoing several tests to have his left ankle checked, the results showed that there weren't any major issues to worry about. James admitted that it was something he wanted to get out of the way before putting himself back out on the court.
"I didn't want to have to take off three games, but my foot and ankle just wasn't allowing me to go out and compete like I know how to compete," James said. "But it was good to get a game under my belt with these guys tonight to see and digest what we got going into the break."
LeBron James missed the previous three games with a sprained left ankle. But he said tests showed he has "no structural damage; no stress reaction no bone chips." LeBron: "It was just something that had to calm down."
LeBron James played only 29 minutes vs Pelicans before All-Star weekend. Lakers play next vs Warriors on Feb. 23. LeBron on what he expects that he will do for him even amid a busy All-Star weekend https://t.co/hhQZIQJ1an
Will LeBron James miss out on the playoffs once again?
When LeBron James missed the playoffs last season, he vowed on his Twitter account that he would never miss another postseason. Unfortunately, the LA Lakers haven't delivered exactly on how James wanted their season to turn out. They're currently still toward the bottom of the Western Conference, sitting as the 13th seed with a 27-32 record. Given the circumstances, the best chance they have right now is to fight for a spot in the play-in tournament.
Based on multiple assessments, the Lakers need to win 16 more games to qualify for the tournament. With only 23 games remaining on their calendar, LA can only afford to lose seven more times. While it sounds like the purple and gold are in a very tight spot, not all hope is lost. On Wednesday night, the new Lakers roster proved that they can still will the team back into the postseason mix.
LA beat the New Orleans Pelicans by a commanding 120-102 margin. D'Angelo Russell shone bright on his return to California with 21 points, seven assists and two rebounds. Anthony Davis acted more like himself when he put up a double-double with 28 points, 10 rebounds and five assists. If the new Lakers can keep it consistent, they can surely make it to the play-in tournament.