The Los Angeles Lakers‘ season ended Wednesday night as the Minnesota Timberwolves finished their first-round series with a Game 5 win in L.A. It was a disappointing end for a team that finished 50-32 with the No. 3 seed in a tough Western Conference. But brighter days can be seen ahead after the franchise traded for Luka Dončić back in February, a move that was much more about the long-term future rather than what happened this season.
But how this season played out still stings given how good the Lakers looked in the months after trading for Dončić. This looked like a team that could give the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder a run for their money in the West, but instead flamed out far earlier than many had predicted. But had the Lakers extended their series by winning Wednesday night, they might not have had LeBron James going forward.
ESPN reported Friday that James suffered a Grade 2 MCL sprain in the midst of Game 5, an injury that was revealed with an MRI done on Thursday. A recovery time for an injury like that is typically 3-5 weeks, meaning James likely wouldn’t have been playing in a Game 6 — or the second round if the Lakers had advanced.
The injury occurred in the fourth quarter when James collided with Timberwolves guard Donte DiVincenzo — who was called for an offensive foul — which sent him to the ground writhing in pain. The four-time champion was on the ground for a while, and immediately came out of the game where he could be seen limping to the sideline.
James’ absence from the game didn’t last long, and he never went back to the locker room and instead stood near the bench shaking out his left leg. He returned to the game, and you could tell that he wasn’t 100%. He still managed to play the rest of the game, but McMenamin reports that in all likelihood James would’ve missed Game 6 had the Lakers won on Wednesday.
Now that L.A.’s season is over, James can just focus on recovering and preparing to play in what will be a record-breaking 23rd NBA season.
