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LeBron James is available to play Wednesday night against the Sacramento Kings. When the teams last faced off on Mar. 6, LeBron exited the game with an ankle injury with a minute left. He missed the following game, too. However, he returned for LA's last game on Sunday against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
He was questionable for that game, but still played.
What happened to LeBron James?
LeBron is dealing with a left ankle peroneal tendinopathy, which he's been playing through since Jan. It's a wear and tear issue and is likely to stay for the rest of the year. LeBron will need a prolonged rest to recover from it fully.
With how up and down the 36-30 Lakers' season has been, he hasn't had the chance to take as many off nights, leading to his struggles with this ailment. LeBron has missed nine games this year and he's on track to play 65+ games for the first time since 2019-20.
The Lakers are 5-4 without LeBron James this season.
LeBron James stats vs. Sacramento Kings
LeBron James has played 41 games against the Kings, averaging 26.9 points, 7.7 rebounds and 8.6 assists. He's 25-16 against the Lakers' division rivals.
This season, LeBron has tallied 28.7 points, 10.0 rebounds and 11.0 assists in three games against the Kings. However, the Lakers have lost on all three occasions.
LeBron finished with 31 points, 13 assists and five rebounds in the Mar. 6 encounter, which ended 130-120 in favor of Sacramento. The Lakers had some chance with a 19-point first-quarter lead and LeBron keeping them close in the second half, despite a 21-point deficit.
Sabonis has outplayed Davis in their past nine meetings, going 9-0. Meanwhile, Fox and Monk had 44 and 26-point games. The Lakers couldn't guard either of them because of their pace and three-level scoring.
Lakers need their starters to play heavy minutes
The Lakers found success early in the Mar. 6 game against the Kings. They took a 19-point lead with their starters on the floor. However, Darvin Ham didn't play that lineup again in the first half, despite the Kings going on a run that turned the game around.
The starters may have to play heavy minutes early to ensure the pressure stays on and the Lakers come out with a win.
