Dave McMenamin | ESPN WriterReading: 3 min.
Good moment of Lakers is in danger with the absence of LeBron James
After posting three big victories with their best basketball of the season, the Lakers must find a way to maintain their momentum without their biggest star, who could miss several weeks with a foot injury.
James is undergoing further tests and discussions to learn the full extent of the injury, which he suffered in the Lakers’ win over the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday.
The Lakers previously announced that James will miss Tuesday night’s game against the Memphis Grizzlies with soreness in his right foot.
James, 38, walked with a noticeable limp after the Mavs game. He fell to the ground in pain late in the third quarter after a play against Dallas’ Dwight Powell. He told ESPN’s Katie George during an on-court interview after the game that he thought he stepped on Powell’s foot, causing the upset; however, replays showed it to be a non-contact injury.
James finished the game, scoring 11 of his 26 points in the fourth quarter, as LA won its third straight game to move within a game of the No. 10 seed in the Western Conference, which represents the final play-in spot, and 2½ games behind Dallas for No. 6.
During All-Star Weekend, James called the Lakers’ final stretch of the season “23 of the biggest games” of his career. However, it now looks like he will miss several of those games as LA tries to get back to the postseason.
James also missed three straight games before the All-Star break with soreness in his left foot and ankle.
Additionally, the Lakers announced that starting point guard D’Angelo Russell is a doubt for the Memphis game. Russell missed the Mavs game with a sprained right ankle.
LA wraps up its three-game road trip with the second straight night against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday, before returning home to host the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday.