Lakers expect LeBron back in lineup vs. Knicks

The Los Angeles Lakers could receive a jolt of energy this week with the return of the team’s best player.

According to The Athletic, LeBron James is targeting Tuesday’s home contest against the New York Knicks for his return to the floor.

James suffered a right, high-ankle sprain against the Atlanta Hawks on March 20, forcing him to miss 20 games in a row.

James returned from the injury six weeks later at the end of April. He played in two games against the Sacramento Kings and Toronto Raptors, both losses for the Lakers.

James complained about sharp pain in his sore right ankle after the Raptors game, shutting it down for the last four games to allow for more time to let his ankle heal.

In all, James has missed 25 games this season. The Lakers are 10-15 in those contests. Los Angeles is 28-15 in games that James started this season.

Lakers forward Anthony Davis said James is close to returning after his team’s 123-110 victory over the Phoenix Suns on Sunday.

“What I’ve seen from LeBron today, he’ll be fine,” Davis said, when asked if James will be ready for the playoffs. “Trust me, he’ll be fine. He’s been in this game long enough — obviously he’s missed a ton of games — but he’s been in this league long enough to come back and lock in and do what he’s got to do to help the team.”

Source: Reuters