Lakers’ LeBron James suffered MCL sprain
In the wake of the Los Angeles Lakers’ elimination in the first round of the playoffs against the Minnesota Timberwolves, injuries have become a prominent topic of discussion.
Even if the Lakers were to extend their playoff run, it would have likely been with a compromised roster. According to ESPN‘s Dave McMenamin, star forward LeBron James suffered a Grade 2 MCL sprain in his left knee in the fourth quarter of Game 5.
The injury occurred with roughly eight minutes left in the fourth quarter after he collided with Timberwolves guard Donte DiVincenzo. James hit his left knee while DiVincenzo was setting a moving screen.
James was subbed out of the game, checked back in, and played the remainder of regulation.
The injury typically takes three to five weeks to fully recover, which would have forced James to miss the rest of the series and potentially much of the playoffs if the Lakers made a deep run.
In the five games against the Timberwolves, James averaged 25.4 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 5.6 assists while shooting 48.9 percent from the floor and 35.4 percent from beyond the arc.
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This wasn’t the only injury issue the Lakers were dealing with as guard Austin Reaves was reportedly playing through a toe ailment. According to Lakers Nation’s Trevor Lane, it was an injury that would have had him sidelined for two to four weeks.
Reaves experienced notable struggles shooting, hitting 41.1 percent from the floor and 31.9 percent from 3-point range while averaging 16.2 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 3.6 assists.
