Los Angeles Lakers forward Larry Nance Jr. is known for his tough, gritty style of play, but even he has his limits. Nance was chasing a loose ball near the end of the first quarter and was sent crashing to the floor after tripping over a Suns player. He landed on his back, and the impact caused his headed to snap back, smacking it on the hardwood.
Initially, Nance remained in the game, hitting his two free throws, but he was subbed out and headed to the locker room, where it was determined that he had a concussion:
Larry Nance, Jr. suffered a concussion and is out for the rest of the game. He will also miss Tuesday’s game.
— Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) November 7, 2016
Nance will be forced to miss the Lakers’ next game, which is on Tuesday against the Dallas Mavericks. In his place, Luol Deng will likely see extra minutes at power forward, which would mean more court time for Brandon Ingram as well.
This injury comes at a bad time for Nance who has been playing extremely well so far in this early season. His defense, athleticism, and overall intangibles are huge for the Lakers’ bench unit and he provides a different look from the bruising Julius Randle.
Hopefully for Nance he will be able to return soon. He must be free of concussion symptoms for 24 hours before he can resume practice, and then must remain that way for another 24 hours before he can play in a game per the NBA’s concussion protocol.
