Los Angeles Lakers fans were riding high on Tuesday night, as the purple and gold walked into Oracle Arena and took it to the Golden State Warriors. Then, everything came to a screeching halt, as LeBron James went down with a groin injury and left the game, telling trainers that he felt something pop.
The good news for the Lakers was that they didn’t need James to see out a win, as the team held off a Warriors run and then took it to the two-time defending champs en route to a 127-101 victory. The much better news involved James, as the fears that this injury would lead to him sitting out for an extended period of time appear to be for naught.
Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports reported that nothing in James’ groin tore when he went down, saying that things were not nearly as bad as they could have been.
Yahoo Sources: An initial exam on LeBron James reveals all is intact and that it’s a slight groin strain. It could have been worse.
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) December 26, 2018
Soon after, Dave McMenamin of ESPN added some more details, saying that while he will get another MRI soon, for now, James is considered day-to-day with the ailment and hasn’t ruled out playing against the Kings.
The Lakers say LeBron James will not return to today's game. James' timeline for recovery is considered day to day at this point, according to a league source. However, he will receive a MRI which will give a clearer picture of the extent of the injury.
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) December 26, 2018
LeBron James tells ESPN “the good thing is the muscle is intact.” He hasn’t ruled out playing Thursday against Sacramento, however a MRI tomorrow will reveal how plausible that will actually be.
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) December 26, 2018
It goes without saying, but this is gigantic news for Los Angeles if it ends up being true. Guys going down and saying they felt a pop in their groin is a recipe for disaster, especially when they’re as integral to the team’s success as James is for the Lakers. We’ll get a better idea of a timetable for his return soon, but the early returns are encouraging.
