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LeBron injury blow as Lakers lose to Hawks
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LeBron James faces an indefinite layoff after suffering an ankle injury as the Los Angeles Lakers slumped to defeat against the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday.
Lakers superstar James collapsed to the Staples Center court in agony after a collision with Atlanta’s Solomon Hill in the second quarter of the Hawks’ 99-94 win.
After writhing on the floor clutching his right ankle, the 36-year-old returned briefly to hit a 3-pointer before limping back to the locker room, knocking over a chair in frustration.
ESPN later reported that an MRI scan revealed a high ankle sprain and that James faced an “indefinite” injury layoff.
Depending on the severity, high ankle sprains can take anywhere from a few weeks up to several months to recover from.
James did not speak to reporters afterwards but later vowed to return as soon as possible.
“Nothing angers and saddens me more than not being available to and for my teammates!” James wrote on Twitter.
“I’m hurt inside and out right now. The road back from recovery begins now. Back soon like I never left.”
A lengthy layoff for James would be a devastating blow to the Lakers, who are already without star Anthony Davis due to a long-term injury. James and Davis were the key figures in the Lakers’ championship-winning season last year.
A grim-faced Lakers coach Frank Vogel admitted James’ injury would be a challenge but backed his team to adjust to the star’s absence.
“It’s certainly going to be a challenge any time you’re undermanned,” Vogel said after the loss. “But if you play team first basketball and you defend at our level you’ll have a chance to win and that’ll be our mindset.
“Anytime any guy is out you adjust and play with the guys that are in there. This will be no different.”
He declined to comment on the mood in the Lakers locker room over James’ injury.
“The mood of the team is that we’re disappointed we lost,” Vogel said.
Teammates Kyle Kuzma and Montrezl Harrell admitted that the sight of James leaving the arena was unnerving.
“He’s one of those guys who takes care of his body to an extreme amount,” Harrell said. “He has all the high-tier recovery gear. He eats, sleeps and prepares his body right. He’s the first one in this arena on gameday, and he’s the first one at the facility on practice days.
“We do forget he’s human sometimes, to see him in pain like that.”
Kuzma meanwhile said he didn’t have a clear view of the incident that injured James but added: “I haven’t seen him scream like that, ever. It had to hurt a little bit, for sure.”
But Harrell was unhappy with the challenge from Hill that led to James’ injury. “We don’t feel like it was one of those basketball-type plays. He had to go through his leg to get the ball.”
With James missing, the Lakers offense struggled to get in the groove as the Hawks notched their eighth consecutive victory.
The Lakers fell to 28-14 with the loss to remain in second place in the Western Conference while the Hawks improved to 22-20 in the Eastern Conference.
John Collins led the scoring for Atlanta with 27 points and 16 rebounds.
Harrell top-scored for the Lakers with 23 points and 11 rebounds.
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