LeBron dealing with ankle issue but will play in Game 5 vs. Bulls
The Cleveland Cavaliers evened their Eastern Conference semifinal series in Chicago on a LeBron James buzzer-beater Sunday, but the Cavs will be limping back to Cleveland for Game 5.
Already without Kevin Love, and Kyrie Irving hobbled with injuries to his right foot and left knee, James himself is now dealing with injury.
James turned his left ankle landing on Derrick Rose's foot in the third quarter of Sunday's game, but didn't miss any time before eventually playing the hero with his last-second winner, surprising even himself.
LeBron says he didn't re-watch last shot much but watched himself roll his ankle over & over. "I don't know how I finished the game."
— Ethan J. Skolnick (@EthanJSkolnick) May 11, 2015
James added he'll be getting round-the-clock treatment on his ankle, but his Game 5 status isn't in question.
As expected, James' usage has spiked with Love out of the lineup, resulting in a rare decrease in the king's efficiency as he's forced to prop up a team while secondary and tertiary stars are either sitting out or playing well below full strength.
If his ankle gives him discomfort going forward, the Cavs may be in trouble.
Dating back to Game 4 of the Cavs' first round series against the Boston Celtics, when Love was lost to injury, James has shot just 38.5 percent from the field and 11.5 percent from deep while using more than 39 percent of Cleveland's possessions and turning the ball over on over 16 percent of his own possessions.
James has still found ways to affect games, as any great player would, but it's clear the extra load is wearing on him, and that was before he had a bum ankle to worry about.
However, if LeBron's durability over the years has taught us anything, Sunday's ankle roll may be nothing more than a minor inconvenience en route to another Finals march.