Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (6) reacts after being called for goaltending late in the second half of an NBA basketball game against the New Orleans Pelicans in New Orleans, Sunday, March 27, 2022. The Pelicans won 116-108. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (6) passes under the basket between New Orleans Pelicans guard Jose Alvarado and center Jaxson Hayes (10) in the first half of an NBA basketball game in New Orleans, Sunday, March 27, 2022. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
New Orleans Pelicans forward Herbert Jones (5) races down court between Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (6) and guard Malik Monk (11) after a turnover in the second half of an NBA basketball game in New Orleans, Sunday, March 27, 2022. The Pelicans won 116-108. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (6) shoots against New Orleans Pelicans forward Naji Marshall in the first half of an NBA basketball game in New Orleans, Sunday, March 27, 2022. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (6) blocks a shot by New Orleans Pelicans forward Herbert Jones (5) in the first half of an NBA basketball game in New Orleans, Sunday, March 27, 2022. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (6) drives to the basket against New Orleans Pelicans center Jonas Valanciunas in the first half of an NBA basketball game in New Orleans, Sunday, March 27, 2022. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (6) goes to the basket against New Orleans Pelicans guard CJ McCollum (3) in the first half of an NBA basketball game in New Orleans, Sunday, March 27, 2022. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
New Orleans Pelicans forward Naji Marshall tries to stop Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves (15) from driving to the basket in the first half of an NBA basketball game in New Orleans, Sunday, March 27, 2022. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
New Orleans Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram (14) celebrates after hugging his father Donald Ingram, left, after defeating the Los Angeles Lakers in an NBA basketball game in New Orleans, Sunday, March 27, 2022. The Pelicans won 116-108. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Los Angeles Lakers guard Malik Monk (11) drives to the basket against New Orleans Pelicans guard Devonte’ Graham (4) in the first half of an NBA basketball game in New Orleans, Sunday, March 27, 2022. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
New Orleans Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram (14) goes to the basket over Los Angeles Lakers center Dwight Howard (39) in the first half of an NBA basketball game in New Orleans, Sunday, March 27, 2022. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Los Angeles Lakers forward Anthony Davis, in street clothes due to an injury, talks during a timeout in the first half of an NBA basketball game against the New Orleans Pelicans in New Orleans, Sunday, March 27, 2022. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
New Orleans Pelicans forward Herbert Jones (5) loses the ball under the basket against Los Angeles Lakers forward Wenyen Gabriel (35) in the first half of an NBA basketball game in New Orleans, Sunday, March 27, 2022. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
New Orleans Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram, second left, celebrates with guard CJ McCollum, left, guard Trey Murphy III, right, and forward Naji Marshall (8) after defeating the Los Angeles Lakers in an NBA basketball game in New Orleans, Sunday, March 27, 2022. The Pelicans won 116-108. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Los Angeles Lakers forward Wenyen Gabriel (35) walks off the court with guard Malik Monk, center, and guard Talen Horton-Tucker after losing to the New Orleans Pelicans in an NBA basketball game in New Orleans, Sunday, March 27, 2022. The Pelicans won 116-108. Right is forward Carmelo Anthony (7). (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Los Angeles Lakers guard D.J. Augustin (4) drives to the basket against New Orleans Pelicans guard Jose Alvarado (15) in the first half of an NBA basketball game in New Orleans, Sunday, March 27, 2022. The Pelicans won 116-108. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
New Orleans Pelicans guard Trey Murphy III reacts with center Jaxson Hayes, left, after Los Angeles Lakers forward Carmelo Anthony committed an offensive foul against Murphy in the second half of an NBA basketball game in New Orleans, Sunday, March 27, 2022. The Pelicans won 116-108. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Los Angeles Lakers guard Talen Horton-Tucker strips the ball from New Orleans Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram (14) in the second half of an NBA basketball game in New Orleans, Sunday, March 27, 2022. The Pelicans won 116-108. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
New Orleans Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram (14) drives down court against Los Angeles Lakers guard Talen Horton-Tucker (5) in the second half of an NBA basketball game in New Orleans, Sunday, March 27, 2022. The Pelicans won 116-108. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
New Orleans Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram drives to the basket against Los Angeles Lakers guard Malik Monk in the second half of an NBA basketball game in New Orleans, Sunday, March 27, 2022. The Pelicans won 116-108. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
New Orleans Pelicans guard CJ McCollum (3) drives to the basket against Los Angeles Lakers forward Stanley Johnson (14) in the second half of an NBA basketball game in New Orleans, Sunday, March 27, 2022. The Pelicans won 116-108. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
NEW ORLEANS — LeBron James winced as he looked at the replay on his own phone.
Jaxson Hayes’ foot beat his own to the same patch of court, and when he stepped on it, his own left ankle bent inward awkwardly and unnaturally, sending him crashing to the floor – and eventually, his team crashing with him.
Even though he had lived it, even though the pain had shot up his ankle and provoked him to shout before he could recover his composure, it actually looked worse on tape. He couldn’t believe he had finished the game, much less scored 39 points. But because so much was riding on Sunday’s game, perhaps the Lakers’ whole season, he played through it.
“From the time I turned my ankle I felt a sharp pain run up my leg, it started getting hot,” James said. “And I’ve been there before with ankle sprains before. But I didn’t want to come out of the game because I understood. I mean, I just wanted to win the game.”
The Lakers didn’t win, and now their postseason is in doubt – not only because of the 116-108 defeat. Though Malik Monk called James “an ironman,” the 37-year-old looked as vulnerable as ever as he limped out of the Smoothie King Center tunnel with his left ankle wrapped thickly in a bandage.
James has been hurting a lot recently: He’s missed seven games total with knee soreness in the last two months, including the Lakers’ previous game against the Philadelphia 76ers (which was also a loss). For the season, James has played in 55 of 74 possible games – while he’s still playing at an All-NBA caliber, his basketball mortality has arrived in the form of injuries.
Now in a race just to stay in 10th place against a tough schedule, the Lakers can’t afford to lose their leading scorer (30 ppg) and most trusted playmaker. While the Lakers said they would wait until Monday for an update from Dallas (where they play Tuesday), James didn’t sound terribly optimistic about his latest ailment: “It feels horrible right now.”
James is already loathe to miss any games. But missing games that may decide the season is even more painful.
“ I hope not, because I hate missing games,” he said. “That’s not in my nature, so I’ve already started the process of treatment right after the game, I got on it right away and obviously I’ll get more done on the flight and we’ll land in Dallas tonight, around the clock tomorrow and see how I feel on Tuesday.”
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James started the Sunday game with the kind of intensity he typically reserves for playoffs. In the first quarter alone, he was sprinting on both sides of the ball for 11 of the Lakers’ 31 points plus a block of Herb Jones. Accordingly, the Lakers were able to take an early double-digit lead that made them poised to run the Pelicans out of their own gym.
That all changed with 10 minutes left in the second quarter. After stepping on Hayes foot, James’ mobility seized up. He jogged gingerly and rotated less swiftly on defense. The New Orleans defense easily beat him down the floor.
James responded by taking more perimeter shots, making seven 3-pointers on the evening. But that wasn’t the kind of attack he originally had in mind on the game plan, and the Lakers tried playing with the ball out of his hands more to give him breaks.
“I just lost all explosiveness obviously, so a lot of my game tonight was played on the perimeter after that fact,” he said. “Couldn’t really get into the lane like I would have loved to – put a little bit more pressure on them.”
Without James, the Lakers are 6-13 this season. Missing him against the upcoming slate against Dallas, Utah or New Orleans in the next five days could leave the Lakers still undermanned, especially with Anthony Davis’ return not expected to come immediately.
The inverse is that James’ mere presence, even if he’s “hobbled” as coach Frank Vogel put it, still gives them confidence that they can win against bad odds. James scrounged the silver lining he could from that notion.
“Obviously I’m pretty banged up with that ankle, but I still feel like if I’m on the floor and I can make things happen then we still got a pretty good chance to make something out of this season,” he said. “It’s been a tough road, obviously. Tonight being a tough loss for us. But to have that confidence from your teammates, for sure, it means a lot to me. It means I’m doing something well on the floor when I hit the floor.”
