Lakers lose again as LeBron James sits vs. Nuggets with ankle injury, play-in hopes fade further

The Los Angeles Lakers fell 129-118 in an important matchup against the Denver Nuggets on Sunday afternoon without LeBron James, who sat out due to an ankle sprain. James missed two games last week due to the injury, but did play Friday in a loss against the Pelicans.

L.A.'s chances at the play-in tournament took a big hit with the loss to Denver as the 10th-place San Antonio Spurs can put some more space between them and the Lakers. LeBron has been dealing with this nagging ankle injury for quite some time, and he's mostly played through it. Lakers coach Frank Vogel didn't take any chances and sat him despite the crucial need for wins.

With a brutal schedule to end the season that includes matchups against the Suns, Warriors, and another meeting with the Nuggets, the Lakers' play-in odds seem incredibly grim. And because the Spurs own the season tiebreaker over them, the Lakers are actually in an even bigger hole.

"Nobody is feeling sorry for us. We aren't feeling sorry for ourselves," Vogel said on Sunday. He also added that all his team can do is look ahead and try to take care of business. "Don't worry about the math," he said "… worry about the next game, try to get a win against Phoenix."

This season has not gone the way the Lakers hoped, as injuries have hindered stars like LeBron and Anthony Davis, and Russell Westbrook's overall fit has been an issue. L.A.'s also gone from the top-ranked defense a season ago, to 22nd in the league this year, while also having the fifth-worst offense in the entire NBA.

If the Lakers miss the playoffs, which feels like a real possibility at this point, especially if LeBron continues to miss games, then L.A. will enter the offseason with some important questions to answer as it tries to get back to contending for championships in James' twilight years.

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