The Los Angeles Lakers entered the All-Star Break in a bit of a downward spiral, having lost eight of 11 games dating back to Jan. 19. Some of those losses coincided with the absence of LeBron James, who was sidelined for five weeks while recovering from a strained groin.
James, who suffered the injury on Christmas Day, was sidelined for a career-high 17 consecutive games and only recently returned to the court on the final day of January.
Since making his way back to the starting lineup, the Lakers have posted a bleak 2-3 record — a far cry from the success they enjoyed prior to James’ injury.