Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times talked to Kyle Kuzma following the Lakers 120-105 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday night. Kuzma admitted that he has been playing through hip pain.
Kuzma acknowledged after Thursday night’s game that he’s been “dealing with a little hip strain” for the past week that has impeded his motion. He rejected thoughts of resting because the Lakers have been shorthanded and he figured he could play through the pain.
Luke Walton confirmed that something was wrong with the second year Lakers forward.
“He didn’t look like he was moving right,” Walton said Thursday night. “He truly loves to compete. I felt like my gut was that he wasn’t able to do what he wanted to do. Now he said he felt fine and he could play, but he didn’t look like his normal self.”
Kuzma expressed the sentiment that a lot of Lakers fans have felt with LeBron James out with injury; every game is important.
“At the end of the day, every game is a must-win,” Kuzma said. “We’re fighting to be in the playoffs, fighting for seeding and the season’s ticking down. We got less than 40 games right now and everything has to be serious.”
While you always hate to see guys playing through pain, it’s nice to see Kuzma putting an importance on the team and winning. However, if the pain gets to a point where it is no longer manageable, Kuzma should look to get some rest and get himself straightened out.
