LeBron James played well on Sunday, but could not carry the LA Lakers to a win over the Dallas Mavericks without Austin Reaves and Luka Doncic. Already reeling from the loss of Doncic to a Grade 2 hamstring strain on Thursday, Reaves was also sidelined due to an oblique injury.
After the Lakers’ 134-128 loss to the Mavs, James responded when asked about his response upon knowing Reaves’ status (via Dave McMenamin):
“It was a shot to the heart and the chest and the mainframe with Luka. … I woke up from my nap and saw that (Reaves) news and was like, ‘S**T.”
Doncic injured his hamstring in the third quarter on Thursday against the OKC Thunder. After arriving in Dallas the following day, the Lakers announced that Doncic would sit out the remainder of the regular season due to a partial tear in his left hamstring.
Less than 24 hours after that announcement, reports came out that Reaves is also on the same boat as the Slovenian due to an oblique injury. The Lakers will finish the regular season with only the 41-year-old superstar as the largely healthy member of the team’s Big 3.
LeBron James showed that he still has some gas left in the tank against the Mavericks. He had 30 points, 15 assists, nine rebounds and one steal, but could not rally his team to a win.
LeBron James Hopes To Drag Lakers To Top 4 Seed in Western Conference
The Lakers were on a roll heading into the matchup against the OKC Thunder. They were 15-2 since March, a stretch that pushed them to the No. 3 spot in the tightly contested Western Conference standings.
Back-to-back injuries to Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves have put the Lakers’ chances of finishing in the top 4 in danger. After Sunday’s loss, they dropped to 50-28, tied with the Denver Nuggets in the win-loss column. LA has the higher seed after winning the season series 2-1.
The Lakers also own the season series, 2-1, against No. 5 Houston Rockets (49-29).
However, with four more games remaining, LeBron James and Co. might slip out of their enviable spot. They still have games against the Thunder, Golden State Warriors, Phoenix Suns and the Utah Jazz.
The Thunder looks to secure the best record in the entire NBA, so they will be gunning for a win. Golden State hopes to climb the standings for better play-in tournament positioning. The Suns are still playing for an outright playoff spot, so they will not give the Lakers an inch.
LeBron James and his teammates need to go at least 3-1 in their final four games to finish in the top 4.
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