LeBron James injury update: LA Lakers star targeting return against New York Knicks or Houston Rockets

LeBron James could return to the LA Lakers lineup as early as the next game against the New York Knicks on Tuesday, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic. The star suffered an ankle injury against the Atlanta Hawks on March 20th and was sidelined for 20-straight games.

Lakers star LeBron James is targeting Tuesday vs. New York for return to the lineup from sore right ankle, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. If not Tuesday, Wednesday vs. Houston is possible.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) May 10, 2021

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He made his return to the lineup against the Sacramento Kings on April 30th and also played against the Toronto Raptors on May 2nd. However, after playing without a minutes restriction, LeBron James re-aggravated the injury and has been out of action for the LA Lakers' last four games.

What can we expect from LeBron James and the LA Lakers moving forward?

The LA Lakers haven't been in the best of form since LeBron James was ruled out injured. They fell out of the top four of the NBA Western Conference and are now likely to feature in the play-in tournament. The Lakers recently lost their season series against the Dallas Mavericks and the Portland Trail Blazers, subsequently dropping to 7th in the standings.

The LA Lakers are now two games behind the Mavericks and one behind the Blazers. However, they managed to beat two top four sides in LeBron's recent four-game absence - the Denver Nuggets and Phoenix Suns.

LeBron James' return will likely bolster the side, with Anthony Davis hitting top form as well. The latter scored 36 points in the loss against the Blazers and 42 against the Suns on Sunday night. With just four games left to play in the regular season, James will likely push himself as much as possible to help the team find their rhythm with him on the court.

LeBron James has looked solid in practice sessions, according to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports. It remains to be seen, however, whether he chooses to return against the Knicks on Tuesday or Houston on Wednesday.

Yahoo Source: Lakers star LeBron James (ankle) has had two “really good days of workouts at a high level” and feels “great.” He plans to return Tuesday against Knicks or Wednesday against Rockets.
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) May 10, 2021