After a couple of big wins over the Los Angeles Clippers and Oklahoma City Thunder recently, the Los Angeles Lakers seemed to be getting back on track as a team that might become a force to be reckoned with once the NBA playoffs got underway next month.

Unfortunately, instead of taking a step forward yesterday against the division-rival Sacramento Kings, LeBron James and company took two steps back as they were crushed by De’Aaron Fox and his squad filled with talented young players.

Along with losing a crucial game that will impact the playoff picture for the Lakers, James left the game late in the fourth quarter because he was dealing with some discomfort in his left ankle, which is an injury that has been bothering him all season.

Obviously, seeing James walk off the court and head straight for the locker room was a major concern for the Lakers, but it appears the injury may simply be the product of being 39 years old with a lot of miles on his body, according to Dave McMenamin of ESPN

Fortunately for the Lakers, it was just more of the same from James in terms of the injury he’s dealing with, as it may not impact his playing status moving forward unless he injures it further.

On Friday, the Lakers will host the Milwaukee Bucks in what will be another tough game for James and company as this team tries to continue moving up the standings in the Western Conference to improve their seeding for the upcoming NBA playoffs.