When Lonzo Ball collided with James Ennis III and needed to be carried off the court after rolling his left ankle, the optics suggested the Los Angeles Lakers point guard was due for a prolonged absence.
Ball went for X-rays that evening, which came back negative, but an MRI the following day confirmed a Grade 3 sprained left ankle. While it entailed a torn ligament in his ankle, Ball did not require surgery.
He nonetheless was projected to need four to six weeks — from Jan. 20 — to recover from the injury. As pain persisted, further testing revealed Ball also sustained a bone bruise in the ankle, which delayed his timeline.