Lakers' LeBron James: 'Nothing Is Keeping Me from Playing' Game 3 amid Ankle Injury
Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James won't let an ankle injury stop him from playing Game 3 against the Denver Nuggets:
Head coach Darvin Ham had a similar sentiment following Thursday's 108-103 loss to the Nuggets in Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals. Ham told reporters that the superstar was being evaluated for an injury but "it will be hard to keep him out" of Game 3.
The 38-year-old appeared to suffer an ankle injury during the game after stepping on Anthony Davis' foot.
James struggled in Game 2 on the offensive end by his own lofty standards, especially from three, missing all six of his attempts. Overall he was 9-of-19 from the field with 22 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds.
He was 3-of-7 from the field in the fourth quarter, missing three of his shots from beyond the arc.
"He's a highly capable three-point shooter, and he let it fly," Ham told reporters regarding James shooting woes from three early in the fourth quarter.
While James was struggling from deep in the quarter, Nuggets point guard Jamal Murray was busy putting up 23 of his 37 points in the decisive frame. The Nuggets also erased an 11-point deficit in the second half, holding home-court advantage as the series shifts back to Los Angeles.
"Once you see a couple go in, I got rolling," Murray told reporters about his fourth-quarter outburst. "I got some separation and started making some shots. Everyone made big plays and had a moment."
After the game, James expressed little concern over the 0-2 deficit.
"This is not the NCAA tournament. It's the first to four wins... Until a team beats you four times, then you always have an opportunity to come out of it," he told reporters. "If we can get better from Game 2 to Game 3, then we'll put ourselves in a position to do that."
The Lakers are 7-0 at home in the playoffs and play-in tournament this year. They'll need to keep that streak going to get back into this series. A healthy James would certainly help.
