Lakers blow as injured James facing ‘weeks’ on sidelines: reports

LeBron James could face multiple weeks on the sidelines after suffering a foot injury, US media said Monday, dealing a blow to the Los Angeles Lakers hopes of forcing their way into the playoffs.

The Lakers confirmed that the NBA’s all-time leading scorer would play no part in the game against Memphis on Tuesday due to “right foot soreness”.

However, multiple US media reported that the Lakers feared James would be sidelined for multiple weeks after injuring his foot in Sunday’s comeback win over the Dallas Mavericks.

James played on after landing awkwardly on his foot in the third quarter but was later seen limping away from the venue following the game.

James later said he was determined not to leave the game in a bid to help the recently revitalised Lakers claim victory.

“I definitely wasn’t going to go to the locker room and not finish the game out tonight,” he said after the win.

“We’ll monitor (the foot) the next couple days, see how it feels and go from there.”

ESPN reported Monday that James was undergoing further “testing and conversations” to determine the extent of the injury.

James, 38, has been in blistering form for the Lakers this season, averaging 29.5 points, 8.4 rebounds and 6.9 assists while also breaking the NBA’s all-time scoring record in early February.

After a shaky start to the season, the Lakers have improved markedly in recent weeks following a flurry of roster moves that has strengthened the team’s lineup.

The Lakers remain 12th in the Western Conference with a 29-32 record, but a congested table means they are well within striking distance of securing a playoff spot.