AP source: Lakers bracing for James to miss multiple weeks
LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers may miss multiple weeks with an injury to his right foot, a person familiar with the situation said Monday night.
The full extent of the injury is not yet known and more test results were pending, said the person, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because neither James nor the Lakers announced anything about a long-term absence.
The Lakers had already ruled James — the NBA's all-time leading scorer — out for Tuesday's game at Memphis with what they called right foot soreness.
James played 37 minutes in the Lakers' 111108 win at Dallas on Sunday, helping Los Angeles rally from a 27-point deficit. But he left the arena with a pronounced limp, with video from The Dallas Morning News showing how much the foot was bothering him.
He got hurt in the third quarter, grabbing at the ankle after spending some time on the floor in obvious pain. But he stayed in to finish the game, noting how important it was to the Lakers' playoff hopes.
James leads the Lakers in scoring at 29.5 points per game, and said at the All-Star break earlier this month that the team's closing stretch this season would be some of the most important games he has played — noting he didn't want to miss the postseason for a second consecutive year.
HORNETS 117, PISTONS 106 >> LaMelo Ball made six 3-pointers before breaking his right ankle in the third quarter, and Charlotte held on to beat Detroit for its fifth straight victory.
Terry Rozier scored 22 points, Gordon Hayward had 19 points and rookie Mark Williams added 15 points and 11 rebounds for Charlotte, which is still second-to-last in the Eastern Conference standings — ahead of only Detroit.
Ball finished with 18 points on 6-of-7 shooting from 3-point range, his fifth straight game making at least five 3s. He was hurt on a non-contact play, and the Hornets announced after the game that he had fractured his right ankle.
KNICKS 109, CELTICS 94 >> Julius Randle and Immanuel Quickley each scored 23 points, and surging New York won its sixth straight and knocked Boston from the top spot in the NBA.
Celtics All-Star Jayson Tatum struggled through a 6-for-18 shooting performance and was ejected in the fourth quarter after picking up his second technical foul. He finished with 14 points, nine assists and seven rebounds.
Jalen Brunson added 17 points for the Knicks (3627), who inched ahead of Brooklyn into fifth place in the Eastern Conference.
Malcolm Brogdon scored 22 for the Celtics (44-18). They slipped percentage points behind Milwaukee (43-17), which has won 14 straight games and now owns the NBA's best record.
HEAT 101, 76ERS 99 >> Jimmy Butler hit an acrobatic reverse layup in the final minutes and finished with 23 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists as Miami edged Philadelphia.
Butler's spinning move and finishing layup while driving between the Sixers' Joel Embiid and P.J. Tucker gave the Heat a 100-99 lead with 1:28 to play.
Philadelphia rallied from an 11-point deficit in the fourth quarter. Butler added a free throw with 8.1 seconds left.
James Harden had a chance to win the game for the 76ers, but his 3-point try at the buzzer bounced off the back of the rim.
Gabe Vincent scored 14 points and Bam Adebayo added 13 as the Heat snapped a four-game skid.
MAGIC 101, PELICANS 93 >> Paolo Banchero capped a 29-point performance with three clutch midrange jumpers in the closing minutes, and Orlando beat New Orleans.
The first two of Banchero's big shots broke ties before he hit another to make it 97-93. Franz Wagner, who had 11 points, added a 10-foot floater from the baseline with 25 seconds left and Orlando held on from there. New Orleans lost its fourth straight.
Markelle Fultz and Moritz Wagner each scored 14 points for Orlando.