LeBron James did not travel to Sacramento for the Los Angeles Lakers’ game Thursday night against the Kings.
FILE PHOTO: Dec 23, 2018; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) moves the ball up the court during the third quarter against the Memphis Grizzlies at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports
James is officially day-to-day after straining his left groin during the Lakers’ victory over the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday night. An MRI came back clean on Wednesday, but James is expected to miss a few games out of an abundance of caution.
The veteran forward was injured Tuesday in L.A.’s 127-101 upset win over the Warriors as he dribbled toward the basket and slipped. His right leg swung underneath him as he lost his footing, putting pressure on his left leg and groin as he reached forward to try to maintain possession of the ball.
“Obviously, we want him back soon as possible,” said Lakers coach Luke Walton. “But we also will be very cautious when we bring him back.”
—Hall of Fame basketball coach Larry Brown has been fired by the Italian club Fiat Torino, the team announced.
Brown, 78, compiled a 5-19 record in his first season with the Serie A team and was reportedly booed at home after Wednesday’s 96-79 loss to Sidigas Avellino.
Brown, inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2012, is the only coach to win championships in the NCAA (Kansas Jayhawks in 1988) and the NBA (Detroit Pistons in 2004).
—The NBA has fined Orlando Magic guard-forward Terrence Ross $25,000 for throwing a ball into the stands following the final horn in Wednesday’s 122-120 home loss to Phoenix.
NBA executive vice president of operations Kiki VanDeWeghe announced the fine in a statement.
After the Magic’s Evan Fournier missed what would have been a game-winning 3-pointer as time expired, the ball bounced off the back of the rim and into the hands of Ross. He immediately bounced the ball on the floor, grabbed it and threw it one-handed toward the other end of the court in frustration.
—Field Level Media