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LeBron James returned to the LA Lakers' starting lineup on Wednesday against the Chicago Bulls. He returned from a right foot tendon injury on Sunday but came off the bench for just the second time in his career.
"The King" was initially listed as questionable for Wednesday's game but was upgraded to available before tipoff. For Friday's matchup against the Minnesota Timberwolves, James is listed as questionable again.
That means the Lakers are still cautious regarding James' overall health and conditioning. It's the final stretch of the regular season, and every game is important. The four-time champ will likely get re-evaluated around shootaround and will be cleared before the game.
Apart from LeBron James, four more LA Lakers players are on the injury list against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Anthony Davis is listed as probable, while Mo Bamba, Scotty Pippen Jr. and Cole Swider are listed as out.
Davis continues to deal with a right foot stress injury but will likely play on Friday. Bamba is still recovering from a left ankle sprain, while Pippen and Swider are on two-way deals. They play for the South Bay Lakers in the NBA G League.
LeBron James looks good in first two games since returning from injury
LeBron James missed 13 games while recovering from a right foot tendon injury. James suffered the injury against the Dallas Mavericks on Feb. 26. There were fears that he might miss the rest of the regular season but he proved that no one recovers like him.
"The King" returned on March 26, a month after his freak injury. He came off the bench against the Chicago Bulls and put up a good performance despite a 118-108 loss at home. He finished with 19 points, eight rebounds and three assists.
Three days later, the LA Lakers (38-38) faced off against the Bulls in Chicago. James was back in the starting lineup and helped the Lakers get a crucial 121-110 victory. The 19-time All-Star contributed 25 points, seven rebounds and four assists.
Friday's matchup against the Minnesota Timberwolves (39-38) is very important. If the Lakers win, they will move ahead of the Timberwolves in the Western Conference. However if they lose, Minnesota will increase their lead in the tight race for the final play-in tournament spots.
It should be noted that the Timberwolves own the tiebreaker over the Lakers by virtue of the season series. The Lakers still have a chance to overtake them in the standings if they finish the season with a better record.
