LeBron James (left) will once again be out of the Lakers’ lineup.
Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James will miss tonight’s game in Phoenix (10:30 ET, NBA TV) because of a troublesome left ankle injury.
LeBron is out tonight at Phoenix due to his left ankle sprain.
— Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) April 5, 2022
James has not played since logging 38 points, eight rebounds and four assists in a pivotal loss to the New Orleans Pelicans on April 1. He has missed five of the Lakers’ last seven games and L.A. is in the midst of a seven-game losing streak with four games left to go in the 2021-22 season.
The result of the game vs. Phoenix could shape much in the Lakers’ future. If the Lakers lose and the San Antonio Spurs beat the Denver Nuggets (9 ET, NBA League Pass), L.A. would be eliminated from the Play-In Tournament and playoff contention.
If the Lakers win, they’ll have to likely sweep their remaining games and need help from the teams above them just to make the Play-In. The Lakers visit Golden State on April 7, then host Oklahoma City on April 8 and close out their season at Denver on April 10.
The NBA’s leading scorer at 30.27 points per game, the 37-year-old James is attempting to become the oldest player to win the NBA’s scoring crown. However, he must play in two of the Lakers’ final four remaining games to reach 58 games played — the minimum number of games needed to qualify for the scoring title.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.