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LeBron James had to return to Los Angeles as the LA Lakers took on the Atlanta Hawks in the final contest of their current six-game road schedule. LeBron missed his third successive game for the Lakers because of swelling in his left knee.
In LeBron's absence, the Lakers lost 121-129 to the Atlanta Hawks, making it their third consecutive loss in as many games.
Frank Vogel broke the news about LeBron returning to Los Angeles before the start of the Lakers-Hawks contest. Speaking during his pre-game media interaction, the Lakers head coach told the media about LeBron James' knee condition:
"Still has general swelling. He will not be at the game today. Got a head start on just getting back to LA to get treatment. So he won't be here today."
When asked if he was unduly worried since LeBron had missed three straight, Vogel replied:
"As long as the swelling is there, he's going to be out. Hopefully, we get him back as soon as we can."
LeBron James has missed 15 games for the LA Lakers this season
The LA Lakers have missed LeBron James for various reasons this season. He sat out two contests for the Lakers at the end of October 2021 because of soreness in his right ankle. He then missed eight consecutive games between November 4 and 17 due to an abdominal strain.
LeBron then served a one-game suspension for an on-court altercation with the Detroit Pistons' Isaiah Stewart by sitting out the contest against the New York Knicks on November 23, 2021.
The last game LeBron missed before his current three-game absence was the contest against the Sacramento Kings on November 30. LeBron had to sit out that game because he reported a false positive COVID-19 test.
The 15-game absence, however, hasn't stopped LeBron James from rolling back the years and producing some-MVP caliber form. He is currently averaging 29.1 ppg, second only to Kevin Durant's 29.3 ppg and is tied with Joel Embiid in the race for the league's scoring title. This is the most points LeBron has averaged since the 29.7 ppg he recorded in the 2009-10 season.
From a team perspective, too, the Lakers are better with LeBron than without him. The Lakers are 19-17 with LeBron and 5-10 without the 37-year-old superstar.
