No more playing! A severe sprain just happened! This is the Clippers' starting core player.

Rarely, three popular teams played simultaneously, as follows:

Rockets 115-101 Nuggets;

Lakers 88-103 Clippers;

Warriors 119-116 Suns.

The Lakers were quite noticeable, thoughtfully aiding their city rivals to break a five-game losing streak and prevent falling to last place in the Western Conference, now standing at 7 wins and 21 losses, ranked 13th in the West.

Both teams suffered significant player losses in this game,Clippers’ starting center Zubac injured his ankle when he stepped on James after a floater in the first quarter.He is expected to be sidelined for a long time.

Losing Zubac, such an interior defender, made the already struggling Clippers even worse. This guy is averaging 15.6 points, 11.1 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1 block per game this season, with a shooting percentage of 60.9%.

Lakers' star Doncic only played the first half due to a left leg contusion... In this game, James was left to carry the team alone, shooting 15 of 28 attempts, scoring 36 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block, but it was all in vain.

In the last five games, James has averaged 27.6 points, 7.2 rebounds, 6.2 assists, 1.2 steals, and 1.2 blocks per game, with a shooting percentage of 53.8%and this season he averages 20.2 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 7.1 assists per game. It's hard to believe these stats come from a nearly 41-year-old veteran.

The good news is that according to Lakers head coach Reddick, the injuries of Reeves and Ayton are improving, and they are expected to play in the Lakers’ away game against the Suns on December 24 Beijing time.

So even if Doncic remains sidelined for a while, James will not be left unsupported, especially with a key player like Reeves coming to assist.

By the way, James is in the final year of his contract this season, and Reeves has a player option next summer that he can decline to enter free agency early. Their time with the Lakers may be limited; currently, the Lakers have only Doncic as an untouchable player, while others are either trade candidates or might leave voluntarily.

It is undeniable that James still has exceptional competitive form, but he is too old to be the Lakers’ future.