The Los Angeles Lakers got a bit of good news on the injury front as veteran point guard Gabe Vincent returned for the team’s contest against the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday night. Vincent had missed nine straight games with a back injury and had been working hard to get back on the court.
Vincent was solid in his return, knocking down a pair of 3-pointers and finishing with six points, two rebounds and two assists in the Lakers’ loss in San Antonio. After the contest, Vincent said his body felt good during and after the game and overall he is just happy to be back on the court, via Spectrum SportsNet:
“It felt good to get out there and get some run. I did what I could in workouts, trying to play against the managers, some of the players when I could to prep myself for the game. But it felt good to get back out there and compete, play with the guys. Went through my minutes, handled em well, body feels good so far so I’ll take it […] I’m confident I’ll be back. But obviously we’ll see how the body feels up to the flight, but I think it’ll do well.”
Vincent would continue on, noting that he has never dealt with a back injury before and is frustrated with the injuries he has dealt with this season, but believes he will be good moving forward:
“No. I’ve never really dealt with anything with the back before so that was a new injury for me. Thankfully it didn’t keep me out too long. It felt like forever, but I think it was only about three weeks. Grateful to be back. Tough first start of the year with the ankle, now the back, but hopefully we’re good moving forward.”
Injuries have been the name of the game for Vincent since he joined the Lakers, unfortunately. He has played in just 15 games this season due to the back injury and an ankle injury earlier in the year that forced him to miss 11 games.
With Austin Reaves out, the Lakers could really use Vincent with his ability to play on and off the ball, hit open shots and defend. Both he and the Lakers are hoping that his body will continue to hold up going forward as his presence is a welcome one for this team.
Lakers’ LeBron James status for all back-to-backs is TBD
The Lakers were shorthanded against the Spurs as LeBron James also sat out on the second night of a back-to-back. And the 41-year old noted that his status for all back-to-backs this season should be considered TBD given his age and injury history.
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