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LeBron James is questionable to face his former team, the Miami Heat, on Wednesday night. The four-time NBA champion is on the LA Lakers' injury report due to a non-COVID-19 illness. LeBron was on the injury report for the last two games because of the same but played.
The Lakers can't afford not having him available as they are going through a rough stretch. Since winning the inaugural NBA In-Season Tournament on Dec. 9, the Lakers have lost eight of their last 11 games despite LeBron missing just two outings.
The 39-year-old is averaging 26.6 points, 7.1 rebounds and 9.2 assists on 50/42/83 splits in his last nine games while playing as the starting point guard. Coach Darvin Ham elected to make several changes amid the team's slump that saw LeBron's position change from the three to one after D'Angelo Russell was benched.
What happened to LeBron James?
LeBron has been dealing with a non-COVID-19 illness since Dec. 30. Before that, he was dealing with a knee contusion after colliding with Jaylen Brown during the Boston Celtics-LA Lakers Christmas Day showdown. LeBron was questionable for 20 consecutive games before that because of a calf contusion.
He sustained that injury during the Lakers' NBA In-Season Tournament opener against the Phoenix Suns on Nov. 10.
LeBron James stats vs Miami Heat
LeBron James has played 44 games against the Miami Heat. He holds a 24-20 record against the team he helped win two of their three NBA titles. LeBron averages 28.1 ppg, 6.8 rpg and 6.9 apg against the Heat, shooting 49.1% and 34.1% from 3. He last played the Heat on Dec. 5, 2023.
He bagged 30 points, four rebounds, three assists and three blocks while shooting 56.5%. LeBron's efforts went in vain, though, as the Lakers lost by a point, but his stellar performance was a major reason behind the game being close.
The Lakers were one Cam Reddish 3 away from winning the game. LeBron made the right play in the dying moments after attacking the paint and finding Reddish in the corner for a wide-open shot. However, Reddish bricked that shot, which led to the Lakers' loss.
Bam Adebayo and Jimmy Butler were key architects of the win for the Heat. Adebayo had a 22-point triple-double, while Butler finished with 28 points on nine-of-15 shooting.
