LeBron James tweaked his left ankle during the third quarter of the Miami Heat's 117-94 victory over the Utah Jazz on Monday and took an extended break from the game before coming back and leading the Heat with 30 points while adding nine rebounds and nine assists.
James was fine enough to return but admitted he expected to feel it in the morning.
"I'm excited I could go back out there, make some plays and finish the game off," James said via ESPN. "But I know in the morning, when I wake up, it's going to be pretty sore."
Dwyane Wade added 27 points and Chris Bosh netted 20 as the Heat recorded their best shooting night in team history, converting on 63.4 percent of its shots to pull to within two games of the Indiana Pacers for the lead in the Eastern Conference.
The Heat notched their 17th straight win over a Western Conference opponent, three wins shy of the Boston Celtics' record for the longest streak set at 20 games, per ESPN.
According to ESPN, James left after he twisted his ankle on a dribble late in the third quarter. James then was subbed for as he sat on the sidelines banging on the court in frustration over the injury, but he eventually returned.
"He does it once a year," Bosh told ESPN. "This is his time. It's usually in December, too. Got that out of the way and now we can keep moving on."
James remained on the ground during the stoppage between the third and fourth quarters and at first he didn't get up to join his teammates and remained down on the ground with a towel over his head. He eventually rose up to his feet and joined his teammates while remaining distant and keeping to himself.
James came back in midway through the fourth quarter and ended up as the team's top scorer.
The Heat host the Pacers in what will be a huge game at American Airlines Arena in Miami on Wednesday. James is expected to play.
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