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Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James will miss Tuesday’s marquee game against the Milwaukee Bucks.
The team announcement James was downgraded from questionable to out due to an ankle injury.
It’s unclear if James will play when the Lakers take on the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday night:
No matter how slim a chance the Lakers have at winning a title this season – the team has looked little like the group that reached the Western Conference Finals last year, going 39-32 this year. season and a ninth-place finish in the conference – completely evaporates without James.
The 39-year-old wonder is having another fantastic season, averaging team highs in scoring (25.4 PPG) and assists (8.1 APG) while grabbing 7.2 rebounds per game and shooting 53.0 percent from the field.
James continued to battle injuries in his later years, as one would expect, but he remained largely healthy this season, playing in 62 games. He appeared in six straight games on Tuesday. The last game he missed was also against the Bucks on March 8, but the Lakers managed to win 123-122. Giannis Antetokounmpo had 34 points, 14 rebounds and 12 assists in this loss.
“Everything will be fine,” he said told reporters after this match. “It’s just my ankle. It’s exactly what I was dealing with before the [All-Star] break, after the break. I’m handling it as best I can.”
“Some games are better than others,” he added at the time. “I didn’t feel it at all against OKC [on Monday]. And I didn’t feel it at all until the fourth quarter tonight. So every game, every day is different.”
These types of injuries are commonplace in the latter stages of an NBA season, and recovering from them can become a longer process for veteran players as the wear and tear of a long career sets in. However, James has impressively continued to push the expected boundaries of aging.
The Lakers would not be able to withstand a long absence of James. The Lakers went from a Play-In tournament team last season to a deep postseason run, although injuries in the Western Conference played a role. Still, it gives hope that this year’s field could make a late run.
That won’t happen without James in the lineup. We will probably count on Spencer Dinwiddie, Taurean Prince and Cam Reddish to take over offensively for the Lakers on Tuesday.
