LeBron James will miss Tuesday night’s game against the Oklahoma City Thunder because of left foot soreness, the Los Angeles Lakers have announced.
James Managing Foot Discomfort
James, 41, has dealt with discomfort in his left foot all season. He is managing the injury after taking on a bigger workload in Sunday’s 134-128 loss to the Dallas Mavericks. He had 30 points, 15 assists and nine rebounds in 39 minutes.
The game against the Mavericks was L.A.’s first after Luka Doncic (left hamstring) and Austin Reaves (left oblique) suffered injuries last week.
Lakers Face Busy Schedule
Tuesday marks the start of a stretch of three games in four nights for L.A. They have a back-to-back coming on Thursday on the road against the Golden State Warriors and Friday at home against the Phoenix Suns.
Smart Sidelined Again
The Lakers will also be without Marcus Smart against Oklahoma City. He will miss his eighth straight game with a right ankle contusion.
Thunder’s Dominance This Season
The Thunder are 3-0 against the Lakers this season. This includes a 139-96 blowout win in Oklahoma City on Thursday.
Lakers’ Western Conference Position
The Lakers are currently No. 4 in the Western Conference with four games remaining in the regular season. They are a half game behind the Denver Nuggets, but hold the tiebreaker over Denver.
The Lakers now face the Thunder without James as they continue their push in the Western Conference.