Los Angeles Lakers

Los Angeles Lakers star Anthony Davis suffered a right ankle injury late in the first half of Wednesday's 106-101 win over the Utah Jazz, and it was a tough one for teammate LeBron James to watch.

According to Kyle Goon of Southern California News Group, James said: "Obviously I'm sickened to see AD go down in that fashion. ... I've seen it too many times, obviously."

Davis had to be helped off the court and did not return:

Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium reported that X-rays on Davis' ankle came back negative, meaning it was a sprain. Charania added that Davis will receive treatment during the All-Star break and be re-evaluated afterward.

Before leaving Wednesday's game, AD was enjoying an excellent performance with 17 points on 7-of-9 shooting to go along with two rebounds, two assists and two blocks.

As expected, Davis has been one of the top players in the NBA this season when healthy, averaging 23.1 points, 9.7 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 2.3 blocks and 1.2 steals per contest while shooting 53.7 percent from the field.

Unfortunately, health has been fleeting. He has appeared in 37 of the Lakers' 58 games this season, missing over a month from December to January with a sprained MCL in his left knee.

James has also missed time this season, appearing in 41 games.

With Davis out, LeBron elevated his play and finished with a team-high 33 points on 14-of-23 shooting, adding eight rebounds and six assists.

The Lakers were in desperate need of a win Wednesday, as they had dropped three in a row and seven of nine. Beating Utah moved them to 27-31 on the season and kept them locked in ninth place in the Western Conference, one game behind the eighth-place Los Angeles Clippers.

Aside from James and Davis, the Lakers haven't received much consistent production from the rest of their roster. That is especially true of guard Russell Westbrook, who has been a major disappointment during his first season with the team.

If AD isn't healthy enough to play coming out of the All-Star break next week, the Lakers will need more out of not only Westbrook but also reserve big men such as Dwight Howard and perhaps even DeAndre Jordan.

Los Angeles Lakers star Anthony Davis exited Wednesday's game against the Utah Jazz in the second quarter after suffering a right ankle sprain.

Davis landed awkwardly on his right ankle under the basket and immediately fell to the court. He was eventually helped off the floor and unable to put any pressure on the ankle.

The team confirmed X-rays on his ankle were negative and that he'll be re-evaluated after the All-Star break.

ESPN's Dave McMenamin added that Davis' injury is expected to keep him sidelined for at least two weeks.

Davis has had all sorts of issues staying on the court this season. He has already missed 21 games because of injuries, including 17 straight from Dec. 19 to Jan. 23 because of a sprained MCL.

Two games after returning from his knee injury, Davis sat out a Jan. 28 loss to the Charlotte Hornets with a sore wrist.

It's been rare for the Lakers to have Davis and LeBron James on the floor together this season, with James already missing 17 games himself.

Because of the injury issues for their two best players, the Lakers have struggled to find consistency. They are currently the No. 9 seed in the Western Conference with a 26-31 record.

Davis remains an integral part of Los Angeles' success. The eight-time All-Star is averaging 23.3 points, 9.9 rebounds and 2.3 blocks per game in 36 starts. His 4.5 win shares rank second on the team, only behind James (6.0), per Basketball Reference.

Until Davis is healthy enough to return, Lakers head coach Frank Vogel will turn to Stanley Johnson, Dwight Howard and DeAndre Jordan for minutes.

The Los Angeles Lakers are reportedly a potential landing spot for center Tristan Thompson if the Indiana Pacers buy out his contract.

Michael Scotto of HoopsHype reported Wednesday the Lakers are a team to "keep an eye on" if Thompson hits the free-agent market since he has "a lot of relationships there."

The Pacers acquired the 30-year-old post player last week along with Tyrese Haliburton and Buddy Hield as part of a blockbuster trade that sent Domantas Sabonis to the Sacramento Kings ahead of the deadline.

James Boyd of the Indianapolis Star reported after the deal Indiana was "mulling" whether to buy out the remaining portion of Thompson's two-year, $19 million contract, which expires after the season.

That hasn't happened yet, but the University of Texas product hasn't made much of an impact since the trade. He's tallied 12 points, 12 rebounds and one block in 45 minutes across three appearances.

The Pacers, who are 19-40 and nine games out of the final play-in berth in the Eastern Conference, are mostly focused on the future, so it's unlikely the veteran center will play a prominent role. Heading to a contender as frontcourt depth makes sense on paper.

If he's bought out, the Lakers would be a good fit.

Thompson, who previously played alongside LeBron James with the Cleveland Cavaliers, could help bring stability to a frontcourt rotation that has tried a variety of players in different roles, including Stanley Johnson, Carmelo Anthony, Dwight Howard and DeAndre Jordan, amid the team's struggles.

It's forced Anthony Davis to carry a heavy burden (38.1 minutes per game in six February contests), which isn't ideal for a player with an extensive history of injuries.

Thompson isn't the answer to everything that ails the Lakers, who sit ninth in the Western Conference with a 26-31 record, but he could fill one void as L.A. desperately tries to find a spark.

As Los Angeles awaits Indiana's decision, it plays its final game before the All-Star break Wednesday when it hosts the Utah Jazz.

The Los Angeles Lakers won the NBA title in 2019-20. The Los Angeles Dodgers won the World Series in 2020.

And the Los Angeles Rams won the Super Bowl to cap off their 2021 campaign.

LeBron James wants the whole city to celebrate.

James called for a joint parade with a concert to celebrate the "city of champions" after the Rams defeated the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday:

The all-time great attended the Super Bowl in SoFi Stadium and even called the halftime show featuring Dr. Dre, Eminem, Snoop Dogg, 50 Cent, Mary J. Blige and Kendrick Lamar "the greatest halftime show I've ever seen." Perhaps he was still feeling the excitement of that when he called for a concert to be included in the parade.

The Lakers have still never had a championship parade for the title they won in the Walt Disney World Resort bubble because of concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic, but James may have a solution with his proposal.        

Los Angeles Lakers head coach Frank Vogel praised LeBron James after he passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the most points in NBA history when counting both the regular season and playoffs.

"To me he's the greatest player ever to play," Vogel told reporters after Saturday's 117-115 road loss to the Golden State Warriors. "... I still believe he's going to lead us to great things this year."

James led the Lakers with 26 points in Saturday's contest, which brought his career total that includes the postseason to 44,157. Abdul-Jabbar finished his career with 44,149 points.

"It's hard for me to speak on it now because I hate doing anything when it comes in a loss. And we had an opportunity to win a big game tonight," the four-time NBA MVP told reporters.

He added: "Been appreciative of the opportunity to play this game at the highest level. I love the game of basketball. I love being a part of the NBA and being able to inspire so many different sets of generations. I guess, it's a pretty big deal."

It's been a frustrating year so far for Los Angeles, which was expected to reemerge as a championship contender following an offseason roster overhaul headlined by a trade for Russell Westbrook.

The changes haven't yielded the desired results, however, and the Lakers' problems have been compounded by the injury absences of James and Anthony Davis.

Vogel continues to vocalize optimism that the Lakers will be able to reverse their fortunes before the postseason rolls around, though.

L.A. currently sits ninth in the Western Conference standings with a 26-31 record, which puts the team on pace to land in the play-in tournament for the second straight year. There's been little sign of a surge as of late with a 3-7 record of its past 10 games.

That said, the Lakers do have plenty of talent and could add another piece or two from the free-agent market once some high-profile buyouts are completed around the league—ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported they're interested in Goran Dragic once he's let go by the San Antonio Spurs—so a late-season turnaround can't be totally ruled out.

James and Co. will attempt to begin turning a corner Wednesday when they host the Utah Jazz.

Los Angeles Lakers star Anthony Davis suggested Saturday that he is relieved the NBA trade deadline has passed.

According to Marc J. Spears of ESPN's The Undefeated, Davis said getting beyond the deadline "lifted weight off the shoulders," before adding, "This is our team, let's go."

Despite owning a disappointing 26-31 record this season, the Lakers did not make any moves prior to Thursday's deadline.

After the Lakers declined to make any trades, general manager Rob Pelinka said he was in "alignment" with Davis and LeBron James.

ESPN's Dave McMenamin subsequently reported, however, that a source close to Davis and James said it was "totally false" that the superstar duo gave their blessing to not make a move.

McMenamin also noted that the Lakers held trade talks with the Houston Rockets and New York Knicks, but their unwillingness to include a first-round pick in the deals prevented anything from getting done.

Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports reported that a swap of Russell Westbrook for John Wall was discussed by the Lakers and Rockets, only for talks to break down when Pelinka wouldn't part with a first-rounder.

Michael Scotto of HoopsHype reported on another proposed Lakers trade involving the Knicks and Toronto Raptors. The deal reportedly would have landed L.A. Cam Reddish and Alec Burks from the Knicks, but it was never consummated.

With the Lakers failing to improve their roster via trade, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported that they are likely to be heavily involved in the buyout market. Wojnarowski added that the Lakers will be one of several teams in pursuit of guard Goran Dragic after he gets bought out by the San Antonio Spurs.

The combination of Davis and James led the Lakers to a championship two seasons ago, but both have missed stretches due to injury this season, and the supporting cast has largely performed below expectations besides Malik Monk and Carmelo Anthony.

Westbrook has perhaps been the Lakers' biggest issue, as he is averaging 4.0 turnovers per game, playing poor defense and shooting just 43.6 percent from the field, 30.1 percent from beyond the arc and 67.0 percent from the free-throw line.

Westbrook isn't going anywhere this season unless the Lakers buy him out, which means the only way to manage his struggles is to decrease his minutes and potentially find a point guard upgrade on the buyout market.

Davis and James make the Lakers a dangerous team to deal with come playoff time, but unless the Lakers can break out of the current funk that has seen them lose three in a row and seven of their past nine games, the postseason is far from a guarantee.

Despite a rough Saturday night for the Los Angeles Lakers, LeBron James at least had something to celebrate during his team's 117-115 loss to the Golden State Warriors. 

James passed Lakers legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the most combined points in the regular season and playoffs in NBA history with a three-pointer early in the third quarter. 

"Throughout my career whenever I've been linked with some of the greats, I've been in awe," James told reporters after the game about his accomplishment. 

James entered Saturday 19 points behind Abdul-Jabbar on the all-time combined scoring list. He finished the game with 26 points, giving him 44,149 career points between the regular season and playoffs. 

The 18-time All-Star broke the record in 1,616 games (1,350 regular-season games, 266 playoff games). Abdul-Jabbar played 1,797 games during his Hall of Fame career (1,560 regular-season games, 237 playoff games). 

Abdul-Jabbar still holds the all-time record for most points scored in the regular season (38,387). James is only 1,861 points behind that mark (36,526). He's currently 402 points away from tying Karl Malone's mark of 36,928 points for second place. 

If James plays in each of the final 25 games this season, he would only need to average 16.1 points per contest to tie Malone. The 37-year-old has scored at least 25 points in 22 consecutive games dating back to Dec. 19. 

Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James reached yet another milestone on Saturday against the Golden State Warriors.

By scoring his 44,150th point, the future Hall of Famer surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the most points across the NBA regular season and playoffs.

Abdul-Jabbar is still recognized as the all-time scorer with 38,387 points in the regular season, but that may not be the gold standard for too much longer, considering James is hot on his heels with 36,521 points and counting.

"I've never chased a record in my life," the four-time MVP said in January. "I've never said, 'OK, let me see if I can get this record, let me see if I can get that record.'"

However, he also conceded it was "natural, human, to look at it and see where you are" in the NBA record books when approaching a major benchmark.

The present state of the Lakers might put a bit of a damper on this achievement.

Los Angeles sits ninth in the Western Conference standings at 26-30 entering Saturday, and making another quick postseason exit—assuming the Lakers even get there—is a very real possibility.

James would've overtaken Abdul-Jabbar earlier in the season were it not for a pair of injuries that forced him out of action. He missed eight games in November because of an abdominal strain and then experienced swelling in his knee in January, which required a brief layoff.

The 37-year-old remains perfectly capable of looking like the best player on the planet in a given night. His 33 points, seven rebounds and six assists were instrumental in leading a victory over the Brooklyn Nets on Jan. 25.

But James might finally be succumbing to the aging curve after having enjoyed a level of durability and consistency rarely seen by an athlete of his age.