Sunday was one of, if not the, best night of the year for the Lakers, who staged an epic 27-point comeback to beat Dallas and continue their push into the Western Conference playoff race.
But it did come with a catch. LeBron James finished the game following an injury to his right foot in the second half, but he was clearly uncomfortable and limped noticeably as he left the building. It was, to say the least, concerning. Darvin Ham put as optimistic a spin on the situation as he could, but noted they'd need to learn a little more before issuing a definitive update.
Well, there's still no update, but reports from Shams Charania of The Athletic indicate the news isn't good. James is expected to need multiple opinions to figure out the problem and miss multiple games before returning to the floor. The Lakers, he says, are bracing for him to miss weeks. It's the type of news that feels par for the course. Just when things seem to be really, rightly and truly turning around... more of this. So what happens now?
Well, it starts with Anthony Davis. The Lakers saw his best game since returning from injury on Sunday against the Mavs. That was the MVP caliber Davis the Lakers saw earlier in the year, and the guy they'll have to get going forward if the team is going to continue to win enough games to give themselves a shot at the postseason. It's not an impossible task - the Lakers have more depth now (once D'Angelo Russell heals, at least) and play a schedule including vulnerable teams. Memphis on Tuesday will be a chore, but OKC on Wednesday might be without Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Steph Curry is still out in Golden State, as is Zion Williams with the Pelicans.
So while this definitely, definitely, DEFINITELY hurts, and probably quashes any fever dreams of finishing in the top 6, it's too early to give up hope.
There are other numbers, too, indicating that the Lakers might be better equipped to weather the storm, starting on the glass.

HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky

SEGMENT 1: LeBron is down. Are the Lakers out?

SEGMENT 2: Anthony Davis, it's your time to step up. Like, BIG.

SEGMENT 3: What data out there could give Lakers fans some hope?

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