Dave McMenamin | ESPN writerReading: 3 minutes.
A good moment from the Lakers is in danger with the absence of LeBron James
After racking up three big wins with the season’s best basketball, the Lakers must find a way to keep their momentum going without their biggest star, who could miss several weeks with a foot injury.
James is undergoing further testing and discussions to learn the full extent of the injury he sustained in the Lakers’ win over the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday.
The Lakers announced earlier that James will miss Tuesday night’s game against the Memphis Grizzlies due to soreness in his right foot.
James, 38, walked noticeably limping after the Mavs game. He fell to the ground in pain late in the third quarter after a game against Dwight Powell of Dallas. He told ESPN’s Katie George during an on-court interview after the game that he thought he stepped on Powell’s foot, causing the upset. However, replays showed it to be a non-contact injury.
James finished the game, scoring 11 of his 26 points in the fourth quarter, as Los Angeles won its third straight game to move within the No. 10 seed in the Western Conference, representing the final playoff spot, and 2½ games behind Dallas for sixth.
During All-Star Weekend, James called the Lakers’ final game “23 of the biggest games” of his career. However, it now looks like he will miss several of those games as Los Angeles tries to make a comeback to the postseason.
James also missed three straight games before the All-Star break with soreness in his left foot and ankle.
In addition, the Lakers declared starting point guard D’Angelo Russell as a suspect for the Memphis game. Russell missed the Mavs game due to a sprained right ankle.
Los Angeles wraps up its three-game road trip with its second straight night against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday, before returning home to host the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday.