
























On a day when LeBron James left early due to an injury, the Los Angeles Lakers sent a message to the Golden State Warriors with a 127-101 victory at Oracle Arena on Christmas Day.
James was officially listed as questionable to return after straining his left groin in the third quarter, but the Lakers kept him out for the remainder of the game. The four-time NBA MVP still contributed 17 points and 13 rebounds in 21 minutes before departing.
Per ESPN's Marc J. Spears, Lakers head coach Luke Walton said after the game James will have an MRI on Wednesday.
Head coach Luke Walton was able to rally his team thanks to another strong game from Ivica Zubac. The third-year center finished with 18 points and 11 rebounds.
Tuesday's win is the biggest of the season for the Lakers, who have struggled with an 8-9 record away from Staples Center.
Kyle Kuzma led the Lakers with 19 points. Rajon Rondo had a double-double off the bench with 15 points and 10 assists in 23 minutes.
Stephen Curry struggled to find his rhythm, scoring 15 points on just 5-of-17 shooting. Kevin Durant led all Warriors starters with 21 points, seven rebounds and seven assists.
Pressure Is on Brandon Ingram to Lead Lakers After LeBron Injury
After last season ended, the assumption was Brandon Ingram was poised to become a superstar and an excellent No. 2 behind James for the Lakers.
During the preseason, James seemed to go out of his way to stoke the flames around Ingram and his potential.
"[Ingram's] got the juice," James told Yahoo Sports' Chris Haynes. "He's going to be a special player."
Things haven't materialized for Ingram since the season started. The former Duke star has seen his scoring average drop from 16.1 points last season to 15.5 points per game. He's lost more than eight percentage points from his three-point shot (39.0 to 30.8) and went from averaging 5.3 rebounds to 4.1 per game.
Through an up-and-down season, though, Ingram is still capable of showing off the skills that had everybody excited just two months ago. This move he put on Durant in the first quarter is something few players are capable of:
Ingram finished with 14 points in 24 minutes. He's averaging 17.3 points in three games since returning from a sprained ankle.