LeBron James is confident the Los Angeles Lakers will remain competitive while he is sidelined, having exited Saturday's loss to the Boston Celtics with a groin strain.

The Lakers' eight-match winning streak was halted by the defending NBA champions at TD Garden, where Jayson Tatum had a game-high 40 points for Boston.

Luka Doncic had 34 points for the Lakers, who also got 22 from James before the league's all-time leading scorer walked gingerly from the court with almost seven minutes left in the fourth quarter.

The 22-year veteran did not return, and reports after the game suggested the injury could keep him out for weeks, rather than days.

"I've been there before, and I know what type of injury you're dealing with," James said.

James previously suffered a groin tear on Christmas Day 2018 and missed 17 games during his first season with Los Angeles, but he is confident his latest injury is not that serious.

"No, it's not as bad as that," he said when asked to compare the two.

On his exit, he added: "I looked at the score. I was like, 'Oh s***. Those are the moments you live for, especially in a game like this, not being out there. I was cheering on the guys while I was back here."

Final pic.twitter.com/kRvlbLz2UR

— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) March 9, 2025

With a 40-22 record and a newfound momentum since trading for Doncic in February, the Lakers are third in the Western Conference.

James is confident his team-mates will step up while he is on the sidelines, saying: "We can compete versus anyone in this league. 

"We'll be fine. We've got to continue to build our habits. We're not where the Celtics are, the defending champions. They've been playing basketball together for a long time. 

"They've got a great chemistry and know what they want to do. We made an acquisition late in the season, and we're still trying to build."

Doncic echoed those sentiments, warning the Lakers must avoid rushing their talisman back with 13 games to come before the end of March.

"Obviously, to get injured at this time, those injuries are... I don't want to say the worst, but they are tough to deal with," Doncic said. 

"So he'll just take his time. As a team, we've got to have a next-man-up mentality."