Hit in the left ankle, the same one that has been bothering him for several months now, LeBron James had skipped the shock against the Bucks. Of no consequence since the Lakers won it, after two overtimes. So much so that, as Anthony Davis played 52 minutes Tuesday night, the interior was not in uniform the next day in Memphis.
The “King” made his return, with a good game: 23 points, 14 rebounds and 12 assists. The 111th triple-double of his career, in a fifth victory in a row for the Californians.
The wisdom of the ancient
“I have to be smart about this”, explain LeBron James on managing his physique. “If I'm not healthy, or anywhere near healthy, then it's not good for our team or me. »
This is why he decided to skip the meeting in Milwaukee: so as not to play with fire three weeks before the “play-in”. “I probably would have played Tuesday night”concedes the quadruple champion if the risks in the medium term did not exist.
The player therefore prefers to rely on rest, even if it means losing matches (which is not really the case this season, with a record of 6-4 without him) rather than arriving diminished during the most important matches.
An ankle to manage
“You have to be strategic, understand and see how my ankle and my foot feel. And obviously be smart,” confirms the MVP of the 2020 Finals. “We are where we are but health is the most important thing for our franchise. Not just mine. I protect myself from injuries, I see how my foot and ankle react and I always keep an eye on it. »
The Lakers still have four straight away games to play before returning home: at Indiana, Brooklyn, Toronto and Washington, until next Wednesday. A rather favorable, even very favorable, calendar.
