Los Angeles Lakers forward Brandon Ingram will be sidelined at least the next two games with a sprained ankle.
The Los Angeles Lakers were able to exact some revenge on the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday night. After dropping the first two meetings of the season, Los Angeles finally broke through against San Antonio on Wednesday.
The Lakers won 121-113, but they came out of the game still feeling like they lost. That is because forward Brandon Ingram was injured about midway through the first quarter.
Ingram rose for a mid-range jumper and LaMarcus Aldridge contested. He contested a little too hard, as he went underneath Ingram, causing Ingram to land on him and spraining his ankle in the process. Ingram knocked down the jumper and subsequent free throw, as Aldridge was assessed a Flagrant-1 foul.
Ingram hobbled to the locker room after knocking down the free throw and did not return to the game. He did come out and warm up with the team at halftime, but ultimately was held out.
Unfortunately, that free throw is the last we will see of Ingram for a little while. According to Mike Trudell of Spectrum SportsNet, Ingram will miss at least the next two games, as he will not be accompanying the team on their upcoming road trip.
Brandon Ingram (sprained left ankle) is not on the trip with the Lakers. He’s staying in L.A., and will miss Friday’s game at San Antonio and Saturday’s at Memphis. He’s scheduled for a precautionary MRI on Thursday evening.
— Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) December 6, 2018
Ingram did undergo x-rays Wednesday night, and those came back negative. However, he is not yet in the clear as the MRI will reveal how severe of a sprain he is dealing with.
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This is a pretty big loss for the Lakers, as the team, and Ingram were all starting to come into their own. Ingram is averaging 15.2 points, 4.0 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 0.7 blocks and 0.7 steals in 30.8 minutes per game.
Ingram’s numbers are down this season as he continues to adapt to playing alongside LeBron James. Missing more time will not help him develop chemistry and cohesion on the court. This is the second time Ingram will miss consecutive games this season, as he served a four-game suspension earlier this season for his role in the right with the Houston Rockets.
With Ingram sidelined at least the next two games, expect Josh Hart or Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to be placed into the starting lineup in his place. Both players are worthy of the spot and would slide into the lineup seamlessly given their skill sets.
However, those two players alone won’t replace Ingram. 30.8 minutes is a lot of playing time to replace. Expect Lance Stephenson, Michael Beasley and possibly even Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk to get minutes in his place.
In a corresponding move, the Lakers also recalled rookie Isaac Bonga from the G League to give Luke Walton another ball handler off the bench.