LeBron James out as Los Angeles Lakers fall to Utah Jazz،
SALT LAKE CITY – LeBron James missed the Los Angeles Lakers' 132-125 loss to the Utah Jazz on Saturday because of a left ankle injury.
James, 39, twisted his ankle during the first half of the Lakers' 127-109 loss to the Phoenix Suns on Thursday. He remained in the competition after the injury, but logged only 24 minutes and scored a season-low 10 points on 3-of-11 shooting.
This was James' fourth missed game this season.
Anthony Davis recorded his second career triple-double with 15 points, 15 rebounds and 11 assists, but he shot 5 of 21 from the field and committed a team-high six turnovers.
“Everyone did their job except me,” Davis said. “I didn't do my job. Obviously Bron was out and everyone has to step up and these guys did it. Except me. So this one is my fault.”
Rui Hachimura, cleared to return after missing the last five games with a left calf strain, played in place of James, finishing with 17 points and three rebounds. His playing time was limited to 19 minutes due to a minutes restriction.
Teams with similar overall records are now heading in squarely opposite directions. Los Angeles (19-21) is 2-6 in its last eight games, while Utah (21-20) is 8-1 in its last nine games. The Jazz had won their last four games by an average of 18 points, including Friday's 145-113 loss to the Toronto Raptors.
James was the only key contributor missing from Saturday's rotation. D'Angelo Russell (right knee bruise) and Cam Reddish (left knee soreness), both listed as questionable, played for the Lakers, with the former finishing with 39 points.
Russell, starting alongside Austin Reaves in the backcourt for the first time since Nov. 8, pushed for the duo's effectiveness — alluding to their playoff success last spring.
“We’ve gained a lot of credibility in the short time we have together,” Russell said. “So you put us there, it works.”
Reddish played 11 minutes and went 0-for-1 from the field with one rebound. For the second straight game, he was pulled at halftime due to left knee soreness and did not return.
“We're going to get him looked at, he's being looked at right now and we'll have a definitive plan by Monday on what's going on with him,” Lakers coach Darvin Ham said of Reddish.
The loss dropped Los Angeles' 40-game record to the same as last season at this point.
Davis acknowledged his team's struggles, but pointed to the upcoming schedule — six straight games in Los Angeles over the next two weeks against the Oklahoma City Thunder, Dallas Mavericks, Brooklyn Nets, Trail Blazers of Portland, the Los Angeles Clippers and the Chicago Bulls – as a crucial element. it's time to do it right.
“We’re not in a bad situation,” Davis said. “It could be worse. Our injuries have piled up over and over again. As soon as we think we have a few guys back, guys go down. So, that's the hardest thing, but we still have enough to win games basketball. Even if Bron doesn't play, we have enough to win. But we just have to keep going — 40 games, 42 left. We have to make an effort. These next five or six home games are going to be a long stretch of games for us.”
