The Los Angeles Lakers have updated their injury report for Sunday evening’s game against the Philadelphia 76ers and LeBron James (right sciatica and left foot joint arthritis) is available after previously being listed questionable.
James did not play in the second game of the Lakers’ back-to-back on Thursday and Friday due to these nagging injuries. He was pivotal in L.A.’s win over the Toronto Raptors on Thursday with the game-winning assist to Rui Hachimura, but missed Friday’s blowout loss to the Celtics.
The Lakers star appears to still be ramping up and will likely miss games from time to time. His next missed game would mark his 17th of the season. The significance of that is that any game he misses beyond the next one would make him ineligible for regular season awards.
James was originally ruled questionable on Saturday’s injury report, while Luka Doncic was off the report after returning to the team following the birth of his second daughter, Olivia. Marcus Smart, dealing with a left lumbar muscle strain, was ruled out on Saturday and will miss his sixth consecutive game.
The Lakers have not defeated the 76ers on the road in eight years, and hope to change that with Doncic at the helm on Sunday. They are likely to be as healthy as they’ve been all season, with Joel Embiid and Paul George expected to join Tyrese Maxey in the lineup. Only Kelly Oubre Jr. among their regular rotation players has been ruled out.
IF LEBRON IS OUT – Doncic and Reaves should be able to, even without James, get a win against a 76ers team that has looked inconsistent even at full strength. Having LeBron out of the lineup will hurt when it comes to guarding George — especially with Smart also out — but L.A.’s offense should have enough firepower to stay afloat in this game.
IF LEBRON IS IN – With LeBron available, the Lakers are in the driver’s seat to try and break their Philadelphia losing streak. The 76ers, even at full strength, have not looked like a dominant team in any phase, outside of point guard Tyrese Maxey.
LeBron James congratulates Luka Doncic on birth of second child
Luka Doncic was away from the Lakers for the last two games. He was officially listed out for personal reasons, but word quickly spread that Doncic had traveled to Slovenia to be with his fiancée for the expected birth of their daughter. LeBron James and Austin Reaves led L.A. to a win in his absence, while they lost the other game that the 40-year-old sat.
Luka’s fiancée Anamaria Goltes gave birth to their second daughter, and the Lakers star took to Instagram to announce the news on Saturday morning. Olivia now joins Gabriela as the second daughter of the Doncic-Goltes family.
And quickly after Doncic’s celebratory post, James was one of the first to leave a congratulatory comment.
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