Lakers News: Steve Nash’s Nagging Injury Spells Trouble for Playoff Hopes

 

If the Los Angeles Lakers' 2013 NBA playoff hopes weren't already on the rocks, the most recent news on Steve Nash should help cast doubt on avoiding a first-round sweep at the hands of the Oklahoma City Thunder or San Antonio Spurs. 

An MRI on Tuesday (h/t Fox News) revealed that preexisting issues have contributed to Nash's already weak hip and back this season, forcing his hamstrings to suffer as a consequence. 

Team doctors gave Nash an epidural injection, and the Lakers' official Twitter account confirmed that Nash would not be available for a must-win game against the Houston Rockets on Wednesday night:



While the Lakers remain "hopeful" (h/t Sportsnet Mike Trudell) that Nash will be back for postseason action (should the Lakers win or the Utah Jazz lose on Wednesday night), this is the latest example of how the 2012-13 season in Los Angeles might have been a lost cause from the start. 

Look no further than this tweet from ESPN LA's Arash Markazi to confirm that Nash's absence from Wednesday night's lineup will be anything but precautionary:



Even if the Lakers do grab the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference on Wednesday night, their stay in the postseason won't last very long—especially if Nash's body is at the point that the MRI confirmed on Tuesday. 

It's been an injury-filled season for the preseason NBA champion Lakers. 



What started with Nash turned into injuries for Pau Gasol, Dwight Howard, Steve Blake, Metta World Peace and Kobe Bryant—the last of which ended their superstar's season and placed the Lakers' already difficult NBA Finals chances at the lowest they've been since the season began. 

Averaging 12.7 points and 6.7 assists in 50 games for the Lakers this season, Nash's presence in the lineup would help compensate for some of the playmaking that...

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