The Los Angeles Lakers are set to play Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday night, a game that could hold big playoff implications for the Lakers. Unfortunately for them, Los Angeles is set to be without LeBron James in this game as he continues to battle through his left ankle peroneal tendinopathy injury that has sidelined the superstar over the course of the 2023-24 season, the team announced Tuesday morning.
🚨 LeBron James (left ankle) has been downgraded to OUT for tonight's game against Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks, the Lakers have announced. pic.twitter.com/yCQ57h7iet
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) March 26, 2024
Nearing the conclusion of his 21st NBA season, LeBron has continued to rewrite NBA history books. Not only did he recently surpass 40,000 career points in March, but he also made his record-breaking 20th All-Star appearance in February. At 39 years old, James is still amongst the league's best, and has the Lakers in a position to possibly sneak into the playoffs via the play-in tournament.
In a total of 62 games, James has averaged 25.4 points, 8.1 assists, and 7.2 rebounds per game while shooting 53.0 percent from the floor and 40.6 percent from three-point range. This game against the Bucks will be the 10th game of the season that LeBron has missed due to injury.
Due to the 65-game minimum threshold for players to remain eligible for awards and accolades at the end of the season, James will only be allowed to miss a maximum of seven more games if he is to be in the running for one of the three All-NBA teams.
What LeBron's absence vs. Bucks means for Lakers
Without James on the court, the Lakers will obviously need to play through All-Star big man Anthony Davis on Tuesday night against the Bucks. Brook Lopez and Giannis Antetokounmpo command the interior for a Bucks defense that is getting better, which is why Davis will need to step up and help control the Lakers' offense.
In nine games without LeBron this season, the Lakers have gone 5-4, most recently defeating the Bucks 123-122 on March 8. Davis finished this game with 22 points, 13 rebounds, five assists, and three blocks in 41 total minutes. Milwaukee was without All-Star wing Khris Middleton in this game.
Alongside Davis, Austin Reaves and D'Angelo Russell figure to see their roles expand on offense with LeBron out of the lineup. When thrown into a larger role without James on the court this season, Russell has averaged 21.7 points, 10.7 assists, and 5.3 rebounds per game. He recently scored 44 points on 9-of-12 shooting against the Bucks earlier this month.
The Lakers have been rolling as of late, winning five of their last seven games, including three straight. Since the All-Star break, Los Angeles has posted a 9-6 record, and they are just 2.5 games behind the Phoenix Suns for the 8-seed in the Western Conference. It is worth noting that the Lakers own the season tiebreaker over Phoenix, meaning that they would get the higher position in the standings should these two teams be tied at the conclusion of the regular season.
After missing Tuesday night's game, James' next chance to play will be on Wednesday night when the Lakers take on the Memphis Grizzlies in the second night of a back-to-back.
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