The best part about a Metta World Peace interview involves the anticipation that no one can fully predict what he will say.
So when it came to assessing his 22-point effort on 10 of 13 shooting the Lakers’ 113-102 victory Sunday over the Sacramento Kings, who knew it would lead the Lakers’ eccentric forward to disclose previously untold injuries this season.
“I didn’t want to make no excuses,” World Peace said, “But I popped something in my [right] fibula, but it didn’t tear.”
This injury apparently happened in the Lakers’ 116-101 loss Jan. 11 to the Oklahoma City Thunder two days after experiencing an injury two days earlier in San Antonio.
“I took a charge from what’s his name?” World Peace asked a small group of reporters. “Big white guy from San Antonio?”
That would be Spurs center Tiago Splitter.
“Yeah, Splitter. He kneed me right here in my [right] pelvis,” World Peace said. “Most injuries come from when your pelvis is out of line. Some people don’t know that.”
That apparently contributed to World Peace’s injury against the Thunder.
“They cause most ACL tears and Achilles stuff. When your pelvis is out of line, it pulls on something else,” World Peace said. “Your pelvis must be aligned and it prevents so many injuries. Luckily I didn’t pop. Luckily I didn’t tear nothing.”
World Peace somehow knew this despite the uncertainty on whether he received an MRI or underwent any other exam with the Lakers’ training staff to confirm this.
“They tested it so there was no need,” World Peace said. “I think I might have gotten an MRI. I can’t remember. Maybe I did.”
Whatever the case, World Peace said those injuries contributed to him struggling to guard perimeter players. He added an right elbow injury also suffered against San Antonio affected his offense. After shooting relatively well in November (41.3 percent) and December (44.5 percent), World Peace’s numbers dipped in January (38.5 percent) and February (32.6 percent).
“I was getting to the hole every time I wanted and going coast to coast,” World Peace said. “But after that game, it started going downhill and I started missing a lot of layups. So I had to resort to shooting 3’s.”
World Peace contends he feels “98 percent” healthy. But it sounded like it took a while for him to feel that way.
“I had to ice it and sacrifice some of my exercises and strength and conditioning,” World Peace said. “I couldn’t do as much. I was getting weaker throughout the season. When I got healthy, I could get back. I can lift again with my exercises and do agility stuff. So now I can guard guys again. I’m moving my feet well and I have a lot of strength down low.”
Follow L.A. Daily News Lakers beat writer Mark Medina on Twitter. E-mail him at mark.medina@dailynews.com