Midway through the fourth quarter of the Los Angeles Lakers' loss to the depleted Toronto Raptors, LeBron James left the game early. It turns out that the same right ankle that held him out of action for over a month was bothering him.

The following is an excerpt from the Associated Press:

The Los Angeles Lakers were dealt another disappointing loss, this time by the short-handed Toronto Raptors. But seeing LeBron James head to the locker room early served as a reminder it could have been much worse.

James left with 6:42 to play as the Raptors defeated the Lakers 121-114 on Sunday night. Los Angeles coach Frank Vogel said it was a precautionary move to pull James in his second game back after missing 20 because of a sprained right ankle.

James said he would wait to see how his ankle felt before deciding if he could play against Denver on Monday, but acknowledged it has yet to hold up for an entire game.

“The first half, it feels really good. Obviously warming up for the game, everything is going well,” said James, who had 19 points, seven rebounds and six assists. “Last two games at halftime, you know, after the break, it’s kind of gotten a little sore on me — a little tight.

"And obviously Coach decided not to put me back in towards the end because of that, so that’s pretty much it.”

Despite seeing his team lose for the sixth time in seven games, James was more concerned with making sure the Lakers are at full strength for the playoffs. Although Anthony Davis and James were available, starting guard Dennis Schroder did not play after being placed in the league’s health and safety protocols.

“I think our team is predicated on health," James said. “That is the No. 1 thing for our ballclub. We’re a team that we need to be healthy and we need to be full, and if it’s not one thing, it’s the other. We show up today and our starting point guard is not in the lineup, so it’s like another blow for us.”