LOS ANGELES -- Already missing three starters in LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Lonnie Walker going into the game and seeing a fourth, Troy Brown Jr., exit early because of a left quad strain, Los Angeles Lakers coach Darvin Ham felt the need to protect Dennis Schroder from himself after the point guard rolled his right ankle midway through the fourth quarter on Wednesday.
"He got in the huddle and I told him, 'Man, if I see you limping, I'm taking you out,'" Ham said, describing the Lakers' timeout with 5:41 remaining in the fourth quarter, trailing the Miami Heat by three.