MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The Lakers’ quest to splash back into the postseason mix might have taken a brutal hit on Sunday night, amid the throes of one of the most enthralling wins of the season.
In the third quarter of an eventual 111-108 comeback win against the Dallas Mavericks, LeBron James landed awkwardly on his right foot and grabbed at it while writhing on the ground. Now, the team might have to play a good chunk of its remaining 21 regular-season games without the 38-year-old star.
The Athletic was first to report that James’ foot injury might cost him weeks in a regular season with only six weeks remaining. While James played through the fourth quarter on the injury, even going 5 for 9 from the field with a team-high 11 points in a massive comeback against the Mavericks, the report indicated that James’ foot will require “multiple opinions.”
James emphasized the seriousness of the injury on his Instagram account: posting a video of his right foot wrapped up in multiple layers in his Memphis hotel room, with an uninspiring but colorful caption.
The injury itself was noncontact, and James was overheard on TV microphones saying shortly after the fall that he heard “a pop.” Coach Darvin Ham said after the game he had not personally heard James characterize the injury that way.
Aside from casting doubt over James’ ability to play out the rest of the regular season, the injury is a serious blow to the scrapping Lakers (29-32), who were in 12th place in the Western Conference as of Monday morning with the ambition to climb to the No. 6 seed or higher. The Lakers were 2½ games out of the six seed and a game out of the No. 10 seed, the last play-in spot. They’ve been battling from the back of the standings all season long.
A trade deadline roster reshuffle had given rising hope to the Lakers: They are 4-1 since acquiring five new players, including D’Angelo Russell, Jarred Vanderbilt and Malik Beasley, all of whom have played in the starting…
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