Scary sights in LA! The Lakers headed into tonight’s Warriors clash hoping to extend their two-game winning streak and gaining a massive edge in their playoff pursuit. They started the game hot, taking an early lead against the visitors. But things took an unfortunate turn when LeBron James had a major injury scare after a brutal collision with Jonathan Kuminga.

It happened midway through the opening quarter. As Luka Doncic dribbled the ball and worked his way through the defense, LeBron made a hard cut to the basket from the middle. Unfortunately, his eyes were on Luka and he ran right into Kuminga inside the paint. In a scary sight, LBJ immediately fell to the floor after the hit, favoring his abdomen area in immense agony.

While the play continued and Austin Reaves drained a three, LeBron stayed down. Once the official blew the whistle, his teammates and staff rushed to check on him—LeBron was hurt. He slapped the hardwood in frustration. Fortunately, the injury was not serious, and he got back up on his own strength. But he needed some time to shake off the nasty blow and subbed out of the game as the Lakers headed to timeout.

The on-air announcers also confirmed that LBJ was okay, “LeBron James has walked off. He’s on the bench. He appears to be ok. They’ve gone over there a couple times. He has nodded he’s feeling good.”

Well, health was already a major concern for LeBron heading into the game. He was initially listed as probable on the injury report as he is still feeling the effects of the groin injury he suffered last month against the Celtics.

That issue sidelined him for seven straight games and affected his rhythm when he returned. Sure enough, the collision with Kuminga scared the LA team because they cannot afford LeBron missing more time due to injury this close to the playoffs. Although he checked back in later, his first half performance raised some concerns.

LeBron James struggles in first half against Warriors as his “weird” shooting volume continues

Since returning from the groin injury, LeBron has not had any high scoring game. His best score was 25 against the Grizzlies last weekend. Earlier that week, he scored just 13 points in the win against the Pacers. While the low numbers are strange, what’s even more glaring is the decline in his shot attempts.

LeBron even addressed it after the Pacers clash, “Yeah, I mean how many shot attempts did I have through three? Yeah, it was a little weird, too. It’s alright… So, you don’t really know if you in the rhythm or not or if you’re out of rhythm with 6 shot attempts.”

Even tonight, he looked a bit off—only four shot attempts in the first half and just eight points to show for it. Maybe that collision with Kuminga threw him off. Or maybe it’s that lingering groin issue that’s been nagging him.

Another possibility? He’s starting to defer more to Luka and Austin Reaves, easing the scoring burden on himself. It might just be his way of conserving energy for the big stage—keeping his tank full for when the playoffs roll around.

And hey, if that’s the plan and the Lakers keep winning? Nobody’s going to question it. But a loss tonight? That could change the narrative real quick. Questions about LeBron’s health might start getting a whole lot louder.

Thoughts?