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Dave McMenamin, ESPN Staff Writer
LOS ANGELES — Lakers star LeBron James will miss his first sport of the season Sunday night time towards the Portland Trail Blazers due to left foot soreness.
James, 39, first skilled the discomfort throughout L.A.’s loss on the Miami Heat on Wednesday.
On Friday, James performed a season-high 43 minutes in an additional time loss on the Atlanta Hawks, ending with 39 factors on 14-for-25 capturing, 11 assists, 10 rebounds and three blocked photographs.
On the season, James is averaging 23 factors on 49.5% capturing (35.9% from 3), 9.1 assists and eight.0 rebounds — by far essentially the most manufacturing of any participant in NBA historical past who has reached the identical stage in a profession as James has.
James got here into Sunday listed as uncertain due to the harm and was then upgraded to possible within the morning, earlier than being downgraded again to uncertain after the staff walk-through a few hours earlier than tipoff.
“With LeBron out, we will have to maneuver, we will have to chop, we will need to move,” Lakers coach JJ Redick mentioned earlier than the Blazers sport. “We’re going to need to play in transition. And I believe general for our staff, simply getting again to actually emphasize attempting to get a paint contact on each possession. We have been doing that earlier within the yr and have gotten away from that and have to get again to that.”
L.A. will not play once more till Friday, on the Minnesota Timberwolves, and will not even follow till Wednesday. Redick mentioned the break could possibly be helpful to the 22-year veteran James.
“You don’t desire him out of the lineup, that is for positive, however he has a possibility to get 4 days’ relaxation earlier than we follow once more,” Redick mentioned. “So, it could possibly be actually good for him.”
Lakers guard Austin Reaves can also be out, lacking a fifth straight sport due to a left pelvic contusion.
