LeBron exits loss to Celtics with groin strain

Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James left Saturday's 111-101 defeat to the Boston Celtics with a groin strain and didn't return.

James, 40, was forced to exit with 6:44 remaining in the fourth quarter after the 21-time All-Star appeared to be in noticeable pain, prompting a timeout.

He addressed the injury postgame, saying there "wasn't much concern," according to The Athletic's Jovan Buha.

"Day to day, look at it each day to see if it gets better and take the proper measurements and see what we can do," he added.

James said the injury reminded him of a similar ailment he suffered on Christmas Day in 2018, his first season with the Lakers.

"Been there before, and I know what type of injury we're dealing with," he said.

James missed 17 games after that groin injury but said his ailment this time around is "not as bad."

The loss in Boston snapped the Lakers' eight-game winning streak and could come at a greater cost if James misses time.

Jayson Tatum led all scorers with 40 points on 12-of-28 shooting paired with 12 rebounds and eight assists. Jaylen Brown chipped in with 31 points for the hosts.

Luka Doncic led the Lakers with 34 points, the highest-scoring display of his 12 games with the team following the blockbuster trade from the Dallas Mavericks. James finished with 22 points, 14 rebounds, and nine assists in 35 minutes, narrowly missing out on an 11th triple-double this season.

L.A. resumes its four-game road trip against the Brooklyn Nets on Monday before facing the Milwaukee Bucks and Denver Nuggets on Thursday and Friday, respectively.