Walton out 2 weeks with foot injury

LA Times:Lakers forward Luke Walton sat out Sunday's game against Portland because of a sore right foot and will see foot specialist Kenneth Jung today to determine the extent of his injury.

Walton is believed to be experiencing sesamoiditis, a condition in which there is irritation in the sesamoids, which are small bones bundled with tendons that run to the big toe.


The condition typically requires a to-be-determined rest period but not surgery.

Walton had started 11 consecutive games at small forward and was averaging 5.8 points, 3.1 rebounds and 3.1 assists since moving into the starting lineup.

Walton's foot hurt before Friday's game against Utah and it worsened after Saturday's practice.

"Every time I step on it, it hurts. Every time I extend my foot, it hurts," Walton said. "It's something I tried to push through, but the more I ran on it, the worse it felt. It's like there's a burning rod being stuck in it."

Trevor Ariza replaced Walton on Sunday and had four points, five rebounds and two assists in 32 minutes. His defense on point guard Steve Blake helped turn the game the Lakers' way in the second half.

Ariza, however, was a reluctant starter.



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