LeBron James is expected to return to the Los Angeles Lakers' lineup for Friday's matchup vs. Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs at Crypto.com Arena, according to head coach Darvin Ham.
LeBron missed the Lakers' loss vs. the Golden State Warriors on Thursday due to ongoing treatment on his left ankle. (At All-Star Weekend, James hinted that he might have to miss the first leg of the back-to-back; he was excused from practice on Wednesday.) LeBron is customarily listed on the injury report as “questionable” with “left ankle peroneal tendinopathy.” He sat out the final game before the All-Star break — a comfortable road win over the Utah Jazz.
Before the Warriors game, Ham said LeBron's ankle was a “day-to-day thing” and the Lakers would figure out his availability against the Spurs “when we wake up in the morning.” Following the 128-110 loss in San Francisco, Ham sounded more optimistic.
“Getting Bron back will be great … We'll get an official word tomorrow morning. But in all likelihood, LeBron will be back tomorrow.”
LeBron has appeared in 49 of 57 games this season. In 34.8 minutes, the 39-year-old is averaging 24.8 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 7.8 assists in 34.8 minutes. Los Angeles is 4-4 without him.
LeBron and Wemby have squared off once, on December 15, in San Antonio. They both struggled from the field as the Spurs easily toppled the Lakers — also the second leg of a back-to-back. Anthony Davis did not play.
This time around, Wembanyama will be coming off a historic performance, having nearly posted a 5×5 box score on the Sacramento Kings on Thursday night.
In other Lakers health news, AD exited the Chase Center without speaking to reporters because he lost his voice. AD finished with 27 points and 15 rebounds, but Ham theorized that his restricted communication affected the Lakers' defensive rotations.
Austin Reaves (16 points) landed awkwardly on his right leg in the fourth quarter, requiring a stint for treatment on the bench. He returned after a few minutes. The Lakers guard said he “tweaked” his ankle but it's “nothing that ain't ever happened before.”
Max Christie saw his first minutes since Feb. 8 after missing the three games before the break with a sprained ankle. Stephen Curry is the last person somebody on ginger ankles wants to check (maybe on good ankles, too), which Christie learned the hard way. Fortunately, Christie said his ankle was pain-free afterward. He finished with nine points and six assists in 29 minutes.
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