What is the average recovery time from an ankle sprain? Exploring the process in the wake of D'Angelo Russell's injury and his timeline
D'Angelo Russell of the LA Lakers was forced to leave the game against the Golden State Warriors in the first half. Russell accidentally stepped on Donte Divincenzo's foot while inbounding the ball to Anthony Davis.
According to Chris Haynes of NBA on TNT, Russell underwent an X-ray in the locker room to assess his injury. The Lakers ruled him out for the rest of the game. Haynes also noted that an MRI is not needed and that Russell is considered day-to-day.
The Lakers acquired Russell, as well as Malik Beasley and Jarred Vanderbilt, in a three-team trade with the Minnesota Timberwolves and Utah Jazz. Russell is averaging 17.9 points and 6.2 assists this season. He had two points, four rebounds and three assists before leaving the game.
But for how long will D'Angelo Russell be out with his ankle injury? According to Fox Sports' injury analyst Dr. Evan Jeffries, Russell might have suffered an inversion ankle sprain. Jeffries noted that Russell could miss some time depending on the severity.
If it is a Grade I ankle sprain, Russell could miss one to two weeks of action. If it is a Grade II ankle sprain, the 27-year-old guard could be out for three to six weeks. It would be a tough blow for the LA Lakers if Russell misses six weeks of action in a very important stretch of the season.
Dennis Schroder started the second half in place of Russell. Schroder could provide some relief, given the current Lakers depth.
Looks like an inversion ankle sprain for D’Angelo Russell. Timeline to return will be dependent on severity
Grade I: 1-2 weeks
Grade II: 3-6 weeks
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Lakers bench picks up slack after D'Angelo Russell injury
The LA Lakers bench picked up the slack in their 124-111 win over the Golden State Warriors on Thursday. With D'Angelo Russell out for the rest of the game and LeBron James struggling with his shot, the bench came up huge in a very important win.
Malik Beasley had his first big game for the Lakers with 25 points, three rebounds and three steals. Five players scored in double-digits off the bench, including Austin Reaves, Mo Bamba, Dennis Schroder, Rui Hachimura and Lonnie Walker IV.
James had his first bad game in two months with 13 points, nine rebounds and eight assists on 5-for-20 shooting. Anthony Davis also had a quiet game with 12 points and 12 rebounds.
Meanwhile, Klay Thompson led the Warriors in scoring with 22 points. The defending champs were still missing Steph Curry and Andrew Wiggins, but they have to start picking it up if they want to make the postseason.
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