The Los Angeles Lakers saw their eight-game winning streak snapped in a tough loss to the Boston Celtics at TD Garden on Saturday night. It was a battle of stars, with Jayson Tatum leading Boston to victory with 40 points, 12 rebounds, and eight assists, while Jaylen Brown chipped in 31 points.
On the other side, Luka Doncic led the Lakers with 34 points, eight rebounds, and three assists, while LeBron James came close to a triple-double with 22 points, 14 rebounds, and nine assists.
While the loss to their bitter rivals stings, Lakers fans have a bigger concern-James left the game with 6:03 remaining due to a groin injury and did not return.
Before the game ended, the Lakers officially announced that it was a groin strain for James (via Jovan Buha of The Athletic). Though it's too early to determine the severity, James broke his silence postgame, downplaying the situation.
"Not much concern," James said. "Day-to-day. Look at it each day and see if it gets better."
LeBron James on his groin injury during the Lakers' loss to the Celtics: pic.twitter.com/uDxR0LxqP5
— Jovan Buha (@jovanbuha) March 9, 2025
At 40 years old, the NBA's all-time leading scorer has continued to defy expectations, playing at an elite level in his 22nd season. James is averaging 25.0 points, 8.2 rebounds and 8.5 assists on 51.7% shooting after Saturday's loss.
James' injury comes at a challenging time for the Lakers, who are set to play six games in eight days, including two matchups each against the Denver Nuggets and Milwaukee Bucks. If James is sidelined for any length of time, it could pose a serious challenge to LA's playoff positioning.
With the loss to Boston, the Lakers drop to 40-22, slipping to third place in the Western Conference.
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This story was originally published March 9, 2025 at 12:34 AM.