The Los Angeles Lakers fell to the Boston Celtics 111-101 on Saturday night. Despite a valiant effort to rally back from a 20-plus point deficit in the second half, the focus shifted to 40-year-old superstar LeBron James, who suffered a groin injury late in the fourth quarter and was forced to leave the game.
On Sunday, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that James is expected to miss at least one-to-two weeks and will undergo another evaluation within the next 24 hours. However, the Lakers have already made significant decisions regarding their roster ahead of Monday night’s game against the Brooklyn Nets.
James, along with Rui Hachimura, Dorian Finney-Smith, and Maxi Kleber have been ruled out for the game. While rookie Bronny James, who could have been a prime candidate to get called up with the team’s injury woes, will remain with the South Bay Lakers, the team’s G League affiliate.
Luka Doncic and Jaxon Hayes are both listed as questionable ahead of the game, as the Lakers continue to hold on to a top-three seed in the Western Conference following the Denver Nuggets’ loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday.
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (left) and guard Bronny James (right).
John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
The Lakers currently sit at 40-22 overall, with exactly 20 games remaining in the regular season. They’ve kicked off a challenging road trip, which began in Boston and will also feature matchups against the Milwaukee Bucks, Denver Nuggets, and Brooklyn Nets.
Los Angeles has been one of the hottest teams in the NBA over the past two months, winning eight of their last nine games and 14 of their last 17. However, they’re now facing the injury bug at a crucial time as they try to navigate through it.