The Los Angeles Lakers handled business against the Indiana Pacers Saturday, winning 122-115 in a game that saw LeBron James, Dennis Schroder and Anthony Davis return.
James first hurt his ankle against the Atlanta Hawks in late March when it was stepped on, and he didn’t make his initial return until the Lakers faced the Sacramento Kings on the final day in April.
James suited up again against the Toronto Raptors a few days later, but he couldn’t play through the pain as his mobility noticeably dwindled.
The 18-year veteran decided resting his ankle would be more beneficial to the squad in the long run, rather than risking it for regular-season games even though the Lakers are fighting to avoid the play-in tournament.
In his return to action, the Pacers had limited answers for James. The superstar, with Davis’ assistance, propelled Los Angeles to a win with 24 points, eight assists and seven rebounds in 28 minutes.
After the game, James discussed how his ankle felt compared to the Toronto match, saying he “didn’t have a setback” while crediting the team’s medical staff.
LeBron first on his ankle feeling “much better” than it did on April 30/May 2, and there being “no setback,” before transitioning to sharing his thoughts on the Hall of Fame induction of Kobe Bryant today (coming up on @espn): ⬇️ https://t.co/uKUmil2U0p
— Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) May 15, 2021
Seeing James with positive vibes with his ankle bodes well for the Lakers’ chances to repeat as NBA champions, as his health is undoubtedly vital to their success. With his performance against Indiana, it’s evident he’s on the right track.
The Lakers have one more regular-season game left, Sunday at 6 p.m. against the New Orleans Pelicans, who have been eliminated from the playoffs.
