Lakers get a painful reminder: Their dream of contention rests on the body of a 40-year-old legend

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BOSTON — There isn’t just one thing that could thwart a Lakers run through the playoffs, but the biggest single thing reared its head Saturday night during the most anticipated regular-season game of the year: LeBron James and his 40-year-old body potentially failing him.

The last time he took an awkward step that resulted in a groin injury, it was Christmas Day 2018 — his first as a Laker.

Luckily for James, he didn’t feel that extra pop after scoring his last field goal with 7:05 remaining in the fourth quarter as the Lakers began mounting a comeback after the Boston Celtics took control in the third.

He tried to stretch it out before going to the locker room and calling it a night, and the Celtics pulled away late to secure a 111-101 win at the TD Garden. It didn’t quite feel like a preview of the NBA Finals, but the game was the most expensive on the docket this season, a renewal of the storied rivalry with both teams wanting to send a message to the NBA world.

The intrigue that filled the air was replaced by the reality that the Lakers are relying on a 40-year-old man with a lot of miles on his odometer.

The Celtics handled Austin Reaves and LeBron James on Saturday night, and now LeBron is hampered by a groin injury. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

“Not much concern,” James said after the Lakers’ eight-game winning streak was snapped. “Obviously, we go day to day, look at it each day, see if it gets better and take the proper measurements to see what we need to do moving forward.”

James didn’t display much panic because, at the very least, he knows what a severe strain feels like.

“The first thing that popped in my mind was Christmas Day. I’ve been there before and I know what type of injury you’re dealing with,” James said. “No, it’s not as bad as that. It’s not as bad as that.”

In the 2018-19 season, James had the Lakers fourth in the West before they went into a tailspin as James missed the next month and they finished 37-45. This injury feels like he could miss a week or two rather than playoff-altering time.

“It doesn’t matter who’s in the lineup, we have to play our…

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/nba/article/lakers-get-a-painful-reminder-their-dream-of-contention-rests-on-the-body-of-a-40-year-old-legend-065317568.html

Author : Yahoo Sports

Publish date : 2025-03-09 06:53:00

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