Picture Credit: X

Picture Credit: X

Lakers star LeBron James went down on the court after he was inadvertently hit by teammate Rui Hachimura in the clash against the San Antonio Spurs. The game saw the Lakers enduring a tough challenge as they went on to defeat their counterparts 129-115. The 17-time champions were earlier trailing by 25 points in the second quarter, and needless to say, it wasn’t an easy outing for the Lakers. They had some of their key players ruled out, which include the likes of Anthony Davis, D'Angelo Russell, Gabe Vincent, Jalen Hood-Schifino, and Cam Reddish. 

James, who made his return after a one-game absence was hit inadvertently by his teammate Hachimura. The incident took place when players from both teams jostled for a rebound. After getting hit, James sat on the floor and took some time to get up again. The 25-year-old Hachimura accidentally hit James in the face, which left the four-time MVP bleeding. 

It was the third time that the 38-year-old got hit in the face during the game, after being hit by the Spurs’ players. Luckily, the injuries weren’t severe, and the Lakers’ star stayed in the contest. Coming back to the game, the Lakers were trailing by 25 points initially, but James’ inspired a potential comeback in the game by recording a career-high tying nine assists in the second quarter. 

Though the Lakers managed to cut the lead by six points, Spurs managed to restore a 15-point advantage late in the third quarter. LeBron had a near triple-double with eight minutes left to the fourth quarter. He managed to get 23 points, 12 assists and seven rebounds. Notably, the Ohio-born has been fighting a persistent calf injury, which has forced him to sit out for two matches so far in the season.