LeBron James talks ankle, Kyrie Irving's foot before Game 5
Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James sat out Tuesday's practice and conducted interviews with his left ankle taped. The Cavaliers host the Chicago Bulls Tuesday night for Game 5 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.
Before hitting a buzzer-beating jumper from the corner to give the Cavaliers an 86–84 win in Sunday's Game 4, James rolled his ankle while driving to the basket in the third quarter. He has reportedly been receiving around-the-clock treatment on the ankle.
James will test the ankle before tip-off Tuesday night, but his status is not in doubt. He scored 25 points on 30 shots in Game 4, but also pulled down 14 rebounds and added eight assists, two blocks and one steal.
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"It’s been better," James said of the ankle, according to the Chicago Tribune, "but it's been worse."
Cavaliers point guard Kyrie Irving will also play Tuesday night, despite being limited by tendonitis in his left knee in addition to a sprained right foot sustained in the first round of the playoffs. Irving scored 12 points on 10 shots in Game 4, adding four rebounds, two assists and two steals. Both he and James played more than 40 minutes.
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"Kyrie's situation, he's dealing with some tough injuries right now that's hampered him a lot," James said, according to NBA.com. "My game is not as much ball-handling. His is a lot and that helps him get to his shot. When you're dealing with injuries, you just try to find other ways to help the team, and I think we will both do that tonight."
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