LOS ANGELES — LeBron James could return to the court for the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday as they face off against the Atlanta Hawks. He sat out Wednesday’s game due to a non-COVID illness, and is listed on the injury report with left ankle soreness. The star forward is a game time decision for Friday, but I am expecting the star forward to play.
According to Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com, James could return against the Hawks, but the team report claims he could be limited, depending on the game situation. Read More: LeBron celebrates 38th birthday with Lakers win over Hawks – watch the highlights now
The 38-year-old has had an impressive season so far, averaging 29.0 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 6.6 assists per game. He ranks in the top 15 in both scoring and assists, with the 10th-highest scoring average and 13th-highest assist average.
In the Lakers’ 130-121 win over the Hawks on December 30th, James had an outstanding performance with 47 points, 10 rebounds, and nine assists. In the past 10 games, he has been averaging 35.1 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 7.3 assists per game, while shooting 58.1% from the field.
Los Angeles (17-21) has been on a roll lately, with three straight wins and has a 9-8 record at home this season. It will be exciting to see if James can continue his impressive play and lead his team to another victory against the Hawks on Friday.
Atlanta (18-20) will be looking to improve upon their ninth-place standing in the Eastern Conference. They currently have a 4-6 record in their last 10 games, but were able to snap a four-game losing streak with a 120-117 win over the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday.
On the other side of the court, the Lakers are sitting in 12th place in the Western Conference. While they have had a few ups and downs this season, they have been on a hot streak lately with three consecutive wins.
With James leading the charge, the Lakers will certainly be a tough opponent for the Hawks on Friday. The game time is set for 10:30 pm ET.
