LeBron James is expected to miss the second consecutive game with an ankle sprain. The Lakers are facing elimination from playoff contention if they lose to the Phoenix Suns and the San Antonio Spurs beat the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday.
James has faced many setbacks this season. He was a game-time decision or out several times through the year with ankle, abdominal and knee injuries. James is in his 17th year in the league and the injury issues are not a surprise as he had many deep runs in the postseason.
However, he has been a bright spot for the underachieving Lakers when he is on the floor. He’s among the scoring leaders in the league averaging 30.3 per game. James need to play in two of the last three games to qualify for the scoring title.
The Lakers have struggled to keep pace in the Western Conference even with James on the floor. His absence will hurt the Lakers chances to qualify for the play-in, especially playing against the league-leading Suns.
Talen Horton-Tucker, Malik Monk, Stanley Johnson and Austin Reaves will see more time with LeBron out. Los Angeles has failed to live up to expectations as a whole but look to Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook doing the heavy lifting in the team’s offense tonight.
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