Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James is expected to sit out the team's upcoming games on Thursday and Friday because of his ongoing ankle injury according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.
Lakers star LeBron James is expected to miss back-to back games on Thursday (Clippers) and Friday (Blazers) to rest his right ankle, sources tell ESPN. James will proceed cautiously with ankle injury as playoffs approach.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) May 4, 2021
The Lakers will take on the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday and the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday, most likely without the services of the four-time MVP.
Wojnarowski also reports that Los Angeles will be cautious with their superstar with the NBA playoffs on the horizon.
After being sidelined back on March 20 with a high ankle sprain, LeBron returned to the lineup for the first time on April 30 in a 110-106 loss to the Sacramento Kings. He stayed in the lineup for the Lakers' next game against the Toronto Raptors but left the game early due to right ankle soreness. The Raptors would go on to win 121-114, making Frank Vogel's squad 0-2 since the return of James.
James scored 16 points against the Kings, while he put up 19 points against the Raptors before leaving the game. He was forced to Monday's contest against the Denver Nuggets. The four-time NBA champion is averaging 25 points, 7.8 assists and 7.9 rebounds per game this season.
The Lakers are just 3-7 in their last 10 games and are in danger of falling into the NBA's new play-in tournament. After a win Monday night against the Nuggets they are the current fifth seed in the Western Conference, but sit just 1.0 game ahead of the seventh-seeded Blazers - the last seed to be put into the play-in tournament.
