The Los Angeles Lakers will be without LeBron James for a second consecutive night.
James, who had been listed as a game-time decision after missing the second night of a back-to-back on Friday against the Indiana Pacers, has been ruled out of Sunday’s matchup against the New York Knicks with left elbow discomfort and left foot arthritis.
After surpassing yet another absurd NBA record, James took a hard fall in the fourth quarter of Thursday’s loss to the Denver Nuggets and landed on his left elbow. ESPN’s Dave McMenamin later reported that head coach J.J. Redick said James ‘was icing his left elbow after the game and that he was experiencing enough discomfort that it caused him to be unable to finish the game.’
LeBron James injury update
During the ESPN pregame show on Sunday, Malika Andrews reported that James sitting is ‘more the foot than the elbow,’ and that it’ll be a day-to-day situation for him going forward.
James has had to battle through a few different injuries throughout his 23rd NBA season. His season debut was delayed until Nov. 18 due to sciatica, and his streak of 21 straight All-NBA selections officially ended in February after he missed his 18th game of the season, making him ineligible under the league’s 65 games played requirement.
Luka Doncic stepped up in James’ absence — and Deandre Ayton and Maxi Kleber — on Friday, leading a shorthanded Lakers squad with 44 points to a 128-117 over the tanking Pacers. The Lakers will likely need a similar performance from Doncic again on Sunday to get past the Knicks, the East’s No. 3 seed.
Kleber is available to play against the Knicks.