LeBron 'good to go' vs. Warriors after exiting with apparent ankle injury
Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James left Sunday's game against the New Orleans Pelicans midway through the fourth quarter and didn't return.
The four-time NBA Finals MVP appeared to tweak his right ankle after converting a transition basket. It's the same ankle that caused James to miss significant time earlier this season.
.@KingJames came down on his ankle but seems to be fine. šš pic.twitter.com/eTcxic81zj
ā Spectrum SportsNet (@SpectrumSN) May 17, 2021
Fortunately, James gave head coach Frank Vogel some reassurance postgame.
"He said he's good to go. No issues," Vogel told reporters, according to The Athletic's Bill Oram.
James finished with 25 points, six assists, and three steals over 27 minutes of action as Los Angeles defeated New Orleans 110-98 in its regular-season finale.
However, the Lakers will still enter the play-in tournament as the West's No. 7 seed after the Portland Trail Blazers defeated the Denver Nuggets.
Los Angeles will take on Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors in the West's No. 7 vs. No. 8 matchup Wednesday. The winner will secure the conference's seventh seed, while the loser will take on the ninth- or 10th-place team for the West's last playoff berth.