Dealing With an Ankle Issue, LeBron James’ Status vs Raptors Remains Uncertain

Despite being questionable for last night’s matchup against the Brooklyn Nets, fans saw LeBron James power through the pain to push the Los Angeles Lakers past the victory line. James had a career night against Brooklyn, tying his record for most threes in a single game, going 9-10 from beyond the arc. While that sure did boost the team’s confidence and morale after dropping their five-game winning streak, the alarming question now is, will LeBron James be able to do the same in tonight’s game against the Toronto Raptors?

As per the official NBA injury report, the Los Angeles Lakers have listed LeBron James’ status as ‘Questionable’ once again for the matchup against the Raptors tonight. The reason for his questionable status is Peroneal Tendinopathy in his left ankle.

James was listed as questionable for the team’s previous matchup with the Nets. However, given that the Lakers had just dropped a game to the Indiana Pacers, snapping their five-game win streak, it may be safe to assume James might’ve suited up to help his team bounce back immediately.

James had a 40-point outing, shooting 13-17 from the field and 90% from beyond the arc. He paired those numbers with seven rebounds and five assists for the game, helping the Lakers maintain a one-and-a-half-game lead over the Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference.

Given that James and Anthony Davis, both ended up playing last night despite being listed as questionable, there may be a good chance that Lakers head coach Darvin Ham may choose to rest his two leading scorers. Moreover, the double-digit point production by Austin Reaves, D’Angelo Russell, and Rui Hachimura in the Nets matchup might be enough for Darvin Ham to trust the remaining players, leading him to rest his stars.

Can LeBron James pull off back-to-back miracles?

The Toronto Raptors are on a 13-game losing streak right now. The team has a 23-51 overall season record, placing them in the 12th spot in the Eastern Conference. Trading away their leading scorer earlier this season, the Raptors might be preparing for a total rebuild this upcoming offseason.

It’ll only solidify Darvin Ham’s decision to let LeBron James and Anthony Davis rest ahead of the postseason. Given that Davis is also listed as questionable for tonight’s matchup, there may be a chance that one of the two stars ends up playing limited minutes.

But that too relies on James’ and Davis’ pre-game evaluation by the Lakers training staff. It’ll be interesting to see if Los Angeles can come out on top if the team chooses to rest their stars. Tune into SportsNet LA at 7:00 PM ET to see the Toronto Raptors host the Los Angeles Lakers tonight.