LeBron James had to be taken off at halftime in the 2023 NBA All-Star Game. James suffered a right hand contusion after his fingers got caught on the rim while trying to block Pascal Siakam's layup in the second quarter.
So, how many points did "The King" score before being ruled out? James put up 13 points, one rebound and four assists in 14 minutes of action. It was a rough injury for the NBA's leading scorer, as he suffered his injury in an exhibition game.
James has already been hampered by a left ankle injury this season. The LA Lakers' season rests on the shoulders of the 38-year-old superstar. They're currently 13th in the Western Conference standings with a 27-32 record.
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LeBron James and the LA Lakers have little time to rest before the regular season resumes. The Lakers are set to face the Golden State Warriors on Thursday at the Crypto.com Arena.
If James misses time, the Lakers will need to step up and make sure that they keep fighting. They still have a chance of making the playoffs, but their margin for error is slim. They're two games behind the final play-in spot and just 3.5 games behind the sixth spot.
In an interview before the All-Star Game, James revealed that he's not interested in missing the postseason for a second straight year. It was before his hand injury, so it remains to be seen if he'll take some time off to recover and hope that his teammates can win some games.
"I want to make a push to make the playoffs," James said. "I don't want to see myself not being part of the postseason for two years straight. It's just not part of my DNA. We're sitting up here talking about the record and things of that nature, and that's all cool.
I'm more passionate about trying to make the postseason and give ourselves a chance to compete for another Larry O'Brien Trophy. That's just who I am. That's what I'm cut from."
Team LeBron James loses 2023 NBA All-Star Game
Entering Sunday's game, LeBron James is 5-0 as a team captain. However, that all changed following Team Giannis Antetokounmpo's 184-175 win. With Antetokounmpo playing in just 20 seconds, Jayson Tatum picked up the slack to earn All-Star Game MVP honors.
Tatum broke the record for most points scored in an All-Star Game with 55. The record was previously held by James' teammate, Anthony Davis, who scored 52 points in the 2017 NBA All-Star Game.
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