LeBron James Battles Hand Injury As Lakers Eye Playoffs

LeBron James revealed he is playing through a hand injury he suffered March 23 against the Pistons, telling Spectrum SportsNet "It'll be fine" and "I mean it's not fine, but I'm good." Since then he’s averaged 20.1 points on 53.1 percent shooting, 9.0 assists and 7.6 rebounds across seven games while the Lakers have gone 5-2. He missed Tuesday’s game and several teammates remain sidelined with their playoff availability uncertain. Merlin sees the team circling around one aging titan. Those efficient numbers are a good omen, but the postseason is a different test and the Lakers’ seeding battle with Denver and Houston raises the stakes for home court. If James can stay sturdy and the supporting cast returns, Los Angeles can still shape a favorable path. The regular season’s final two home games will tell more.