The Los Angeles Lakers announced that LeBron James will be held out against the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday due to right foot soreness. The Lakers also listed D’Angelo Russell as doubtful as he recovers from a right ankle sprain.
James hurt his foot in the third quarter against the Dallas Mavericks when he stepped on Dwight Powell’s foot. Microphones near the baseline caught James saying he heard a pop, but he was still able to play the remainder of the game and help the Lakers complete the improbable comeback.
After the win, James said his ankle was feeling a little sore which left open the possibility that he wouldn’t miss any time, but that is no longer the case. James was already dealing with soreness in his left foot, so now both of his feet are giving him issues which should raise concerns within the organization.
Although Los Angeles has been playing good basketball since the trade deadline and are now favored to make the playoffs, their hopes hinge on James and the rest of the roster staying healthy. Injury luck has not gone the Lakers’ way the past couple of seasons, and this is just the latest example of an ailment possibly halting any momentum they’ve built up.
James took to Instagram to express frustration with this latest ailment, via Dan Woike of L.A. Times:
From LeBron’s Instagram story just now pic.twitter.com/lBlcIeWK7J
— Dan Woike (@DanWoikeSports) February 27, 2023
Aside from James, Russell looks like he’ll miss his second consecutive game after spraining his ankle against the Golden State Warriors. The Lakers don’t seem to think Russell’s sprain is serious considering X-rays came back negative and an MRI wasn’t needed, but they appear to be playing it cautiously nonetheless.
With James out and Russell most likely joining him on the sideline, the Lakers will be really up against it against the Grizzlies. However, the more important game is the following day when they play the Oklahoma City Thunder who are right behind them in the standings.
Hopefully one or both are able to suit up on Wednesday, but that obviously remains to be seen.
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