NBA
Lakers Lose LeBron James To Groin Injury, Beat Warriors 127-101
In a Christmas Day battle between two Western Conference juggernauts, the Los Angeles Lakers blew out the Golden State Warriors 127-101. Kyle Kuzma led all Lakers with 19 points. Ivica Zubac notched get another double double with 18 points and 11 rebounds. Rajon Rondo played excellent after LeBron James went down with a left groin strain. Rondo finished with 15 points 5 rebounds and 10 assists.
The Warriors definitely didn’t look like the two time defending champions last night. Stephen Curry shot 5-17 and as a team the Warriors shot 25% from three point range. Draymond Green fouled out after scoring just 4 points. Going forward, I do not expect the Warriors to continue playing like this. Last year, people claimed the end was near, but the Warriors flipped the switch and handled business in the playoffs. I definitely think the Warriors are bored and will have no problem flipping the switch come April.
LeBron James Suffers Left Groin Strain
Lakers fans held their breath last night as James left in the third quarter with a left groin injury. James said that he felt a pop, but thankfully he walked off the court under his own power. Injuries are not to common for James as he has always been known for his durability, including last season in which he played all 82 games.
James will not be traveling with the team for their matchup tomorrow night in Sacramento. It’s not known how many games James will miss, but now is the young core’s time to shine. The Lakers should be in no rush to bring James back, and they must wait until he is without a doubt 100%.
Player Of The Game: Rajon Rondo
When James went down, Rondo took it upon himself to lead the Lakers to victory. Rondo finished with 15 points, 5 rebounds and 10 assists. He’s also no stranger to the bright lights and has played in plenty of big time moments. With James out, Rondo is looking like he will fill the void as the vocal leader of this team. He’s the type of player the young core should aspire to be. I also wouldn’t be too surprised if we see Lonzo Ball come off the bench and Rondo starting in James’ absence.
Looking Ahead:
Thankfully for the Lakers their schedule isn’t too bad going forward should James miss some time. Over the next two weeks, the Lakers play the Kings twice, the Clippers, Thunder, Knicks, Timberwolves and Mavericks. If James were to miss two weeks I would expect the Lakers to able to go 4-3. This would then put them at 24-17 and in the thick of the playoff race.
Going forward, the Lakers have to do what they did best last season with all of their young pieces. The Lakers played as a complete team last season and last night against the Warriors without James. Ball is going to have the ball in his hands a lot more now which could allow him to flourish. After what I would consider an underwhelming start to the season, it’s essentially now or never for Ball considering the Lakers interest in trading for Anthony Davis.
Photo Credit
James Anderson via Flickr
