Lakers' Larry Nance Jr. expected to miss 4-6 weeks after breaking hand

Los Angeles Lakers forward Larry Nance Jr. is expected to miss four to six weeks after undergoing surgery on Friday to repair his fractured left hand, the team announced.

Nance suffered a fractured second metacarpal in Thursday's loss atPortland. He left with 3:45 remaining in the third quarter after committing his fourth personal foul on Caleb Swanigan.

Nance has averaged 10.6 points and 7.5 rebounds in eight games as a starter this season. He averaged 21.5 minutes in his first two seasons, mostly as a reserve, before moving into the Lakers' starting lineup this season.

Nance won the starting power forward spot in camp when Lakers coach Luke Walton decided to bring Julius Randle off the bench for a spark and because of his fit with the second unit. Walton liked how Nance's penchant for rebounding and providing defensive hustle complemented Brook Lopez's play.

Rookie Kyle Kuzma replaced Nance in the starting lineup Friday night against the Brooklyn Nets. Kuzma has provided the Lakers with energy while coming off the bench. He had a career-high 22 points against the Trail Blazers on Thursday.

"Gotta rebound, Larry is a big piece for us," Kuzma said after Thursday night's game. "He rebounds, plays with a lot of energy, he does all the little things. As a group, we got to pick it up."

Nance was the 27th overall pick in the 2015 NBA draft out ofWyoming.

ESPN's Ohm Youngmisuk contributed to this report.