LeBron James limped off injured as the Los Angeles Lakers slumped to defeat against the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday. Lakers superstar James exited for the NBA champions in the second quarter after appearing to roll his right ankle in a collision with Atlanta's Solomon Hill. James collapsed to the Staples Centre court and writhed in pain, clutching his right ankle before returning to the game briefly. He hit a three-pointer after heading back on court but soon afterwards left the game for good with his athletic trainer, knocking over a chair in frustration on his way to the locker room. Any serious injury to James would be a devastating blow to the Lakers, who are already without star Anthony Davis due to a long-term injury. James and Davis were the key figures in the Lakers' championship-winning season last year. The Lakers went on to lose the game 99-94 as the red-hot Hawks extended their winning streak to eight games. John Collins led the scoring for Atlanta with 27 points and 16 rebounds while Danilo Gallinari added 18 off the bench. Montrezl Harrell top-scored for the Lakers in James's absence, with 23 points and 11 rebounds. The Lakers fell to 28-14 with the loss to remain in second place in the Western Conference while the Hawks improved to 22-20 in the Eastern Conference standings. rcw/bb