Lakers vs Thunder: Why is LeBron James Not Playing Tonight?

The Lakers are back on track with two back-to-back wins that came against the Grizzlies and the Spurs. However, the second win was more special because it came in the absence of LeBron James. And now, he is yet again out of the game against OKC too.

King James got himself injured in the game against the Grizzlies when a rushing Desmond Bane collided into him. In the very next second, The Akron Hammer had his right leg in his hands, visibly in utmost pain. So is that the reason he has missed consecutive games?

LeBron James again out of play

The L-Train has now missed his second game of the season with a sore right ankle. Although it won’t matter as much because OKC is not a big threat, this must not be the case later int he season. Notably, this is the same ankle that bothered him all through the 2020-21 when he still made a comeback while not at his 100%. 

Moreover, him missing the game against the Spurs did not impact the end result as the Lakers Nation took a victory at the AT&T center. That could happen only because of the duo of Russell Westbrook and Anthony Davis who combined for 68 points in their respective double-doubles. 

Still, without LeBron on the floor, coach Frank Vogel had to test some crazy duos (Russ & Rondo) on the floor and that hinted towards the importance of Bron in the lineup. Also notably, the Chosen One donned the coaching hat in the middle of the game and that certainly helped the likes of Malik Monk.

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What should the Lakers learn from the injury?

Oct 26, 2021; San Antonio, Texas, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (6) talks to forward Anthony Davis (3) from the bench in the first half of the game against the San Antonio Spurs at AT&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-USA TODAY Sports

Well, earlier, coach Frank Vogel had vowed that he would only play LeBron James for close to 35 minutes. However, in the game against the Grizzlies, he saw that injury scare before halftime and came back to record a game-high 40 minutes of play. This probably proved too expensive and hence the loss of two nights. 

So now, when/if the 4x champion comes back to play against his former team (Cavaliers) on October 29th, he must not play excessively high minutes. A little load management is the need of the hour if the Lake Show wants to run itself with its leader on the floor. 

Do you see Bron playing the rest of the season free from injury? Help us know in the comments below. 

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