The Los Angeles Lakers have a monumental game coming up on Sunday in terms of the extremely tight playoff race in the Western Conference. They host the No. 2 seed Minnesota Timberwolves, who for their part, are also looking to overtake the defending champions Denver Nuggets for the top spot in the West.
Unfortunately for the Lakers, they will need to navigate through Sunday’s contest without LeBron James.
Los Angeles Lakers News: LeBron James Ruled OUT Vs. Timberwolves
NBA guru Shams Charania of The Athletic broke the news just hours prior to Sunday’s tip-off. Apparently, LeBron won’t be able to suit up due to an illness:
Lakers' LeBron James is out tonight vs. Minnesota due to flu-like symptoms.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 7, 2024
This is the first mention of this issue, so it appears to be a new concern for the NBA’s all-time leading scorer. It is worth noting, however, that James headed into Sunday’s contest with a questionable tag due to an ankle injury.
LeBron looked fine in LA’s last game, which came in the form of a 116-97 blowout win over the Cleveland Cavaliers. The 20-time All-Star produced a 24-point, 12-assist double-double in the victory, although the fact that the Lakers are playing for a second time in two nights on Sunday may have factored in on the decision to have James sit out against Minnesota.
The Lakers return to action on Tuesday to host Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors, and as of right now, we fully expect LeBron to be available for that marquee matchup.
LA heads into Sunday’s clash with a 45-33 record. They are currently eighth in the West and are just 1.5 games behind the Phoenix Suns for the sixth and final guaranteed playoff spot in the conference.
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