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Dave McMenamin, ESPN Workers Author
LOS ANGELES — LeBron James was downgraded to out from the Los Angeles Lakers‘ 123-122 win over the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday night time due to a sore left ankle.
It was the ninth missed recreation for James, 39, this season. Spencer Dinwiddie began in his place.
Star ahead Anthony Davis, in the meantime, was being evaluated by the workforce’s medical employees after tweaking his left shoulder in Friday’s recreation however performed via it, in line with coach Darvin Ham. The workforce is hoping there might be an replace Saturday.
James missed the Lakers’ final recreation earlier than the All-Star break and the primary one after it whereas searching for remedy on the ankle, which has been an ongoing difficulty for months for the 21-year veteran.
“Simply experiencing some extreme soreness and we simply determined for him to not play tonight,” Lakers coach Darvin Ham mentioned earlier than the sport. “I believe it is brought on by 21 years of service. It is a day-by-day factor, and we’ll deal with it as such. And see how he feels tomorrow.”
The Lakers star limped off the courtroom with slightly below 4 minutes to go within the workforce’s loss to the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday.
A supply accustomed to the damage instructed ESPN it’s a “put on and tear” difficulty for James.
“It is simply one thing I have been coping with,” James mentioned after the Kings loss.
Regardless of successful 11 of its previous 16 video games, the Lakers have fallen to No. 10 within the Western Convention playoff race coming into Friday, and the workforce’s upcoming schedule is unforgiving.
The Lakers’ subsequent three video games are in opposition to the Minnesota Timberwolves, the No. 2 workforce within the West; the West’s No. 7 workforce in Sacramento; and the West’s No. 9 workforce within the Golden State Warriors.
The Lakers are 5-4 this season in video games James has missed.
