Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James will likely play vs. the San Antonio Spurs on Friday. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
LeBron James will “in all likelihood” play against the San Antonio Spurs on Friday night, Los Angeles Lakers head coach Darvin Ham said.
Following Los Angeles’ 128-110 loss to the Golden State Warriors on Thursday, Ham was asked about James’ status for the Lakers’ second game after the All-Star break.
“We’ll get an official word [Friday] morning and see, but in all likelihood, he should be out there tomorrow,” Ham said after the game via ESPN.
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The 39-year-old forward hasn’t played in a regular-season game since Feb. 13, when Los Angeles faced the Detroit Pistons. James did play in the All-Star Game but sat out Thursday for additional rest after reportedly getting treatment on his left ankle during the nine-day break.
San Antonio travels to the Lakers after losing to the Sacramento Kings on Thursday night. Los Angeles (30-27) currently owns the ninth-best record in the Western Conference, while the Spurs are bringing up the rear at 11-45.
Without LeBron James, Lakers’ playoff push starts with misfire against Warriors
Lakers star Anthony Davis is fouled by Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson during the first half of the Lakers’ 128-110 loss Thursday night. (Jeff Chiu / Associated Press)
Nearly a year ago, Golden State coach Steve Kerr sat in a back room in Los Angeles before playing the Lakers and called the playoff race “a sprint to the finish.”
The possibility of avoiding the play-in tournament and the fear of slipping entirely out of the top 10 existed for Kerr’s Warriors and the Lakers then just like it does for his team and the Lakers now, the two meeting for the first game out of the All-Star break in consecutive years.
Things don’t feel quite as frantic as they did a year ago — the Lakers are not five games under .500 at the break like they were then. But make no mistake, there’s going to be a sprint, especially with the Lakers and the Warriors both eyeing the No. 6 seed from the back-end of the play-in picture.
