NEW YORK — Gabe Vincent thought he was back for good.
When the 27-year-old Los Angeles Lakers guard returned to the lineup Dec. 20 against the Chicago Bulls after a 23-game absence, he believed he was over his left knee injury. He had drained fluid from it, then underwent platelet-rich plasma therapy. But his knee, as Vincent put it on Sunday during his first media availability in more than three months, “kind of had a mind of its own.”
Following a setback, including some swelling and discomfort, the Lakers temporarily shut Vincent down. They eventually settled on surgery a week later.
“It got to a point where I couldn’t compete at the level I needed to to help this team win games,” Vincent said. “It was a long road to recovery, and we’re here now.”
Vincent underwent arthroscopic knee surgery Dec. 27 and was initially projected to miss six to eight weeks, a timetable that pegged his return to the week following the All-Star break, at the latest. Instead, it turned into a three-month, 46-game absence.
After an extensive ramp-up process, including an pregame on-court run with the other reserves before Friday’s loss to the Indiana Pacers, Vincent returned to the lineup in the Lakers’ 116-104 win over the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday at the Barclays Center. The Lakers improved to 42-33 and 3-1 on their six-game road trip, which concludes with a back-to-back against the Toronto Raptors and Washington Wizards on Tuesday and Wednesday.
“I wouldn’t step on that court if I didn’t feel like I could help my team win games,” Vincent said. “Whatever the role may be, whatever the minutes may be, that’s not for me to decide.”