Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James remains sidelined with right-side sciatica, but his recovery continues to move on schedule, according to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin.
McMenamin said multiple team sources indicated the 39-year-old is roughly three weeks away from rejoining the lineup, keeping the long-held target of “mid-November” intact.
James was ruled out shortly before the regular season began and was projected to miss the opening stretch of games. The Lakers are 2-2 without him, though two of those contests were played against opponents missing Luka Doncic and several other rotation players.
Los Angeles faces back-to-back home games on Nov. 14 against the New Orleans Pelicans in the Emirates NBA Cup and on Nov. 15 versus the Milwaukee Bucks. After two days off, the team hosts the Utah Jazz on Nov. 18. A return against Utah would mean James missed 14 games and could still appear in as many as 68, preserving award eligibility.
When he takes the floor, James will become the first player in NBA history to compete in a 23rd season.
Lakers Short-Handed in Loss to Portland
Playing without five regulars on the second night of a back-to-back, the Lakers fell 122-108 to the Portland Trail Blazers. Austin Reaves scored 41 points, while center Deandre Ayton added 16 points and eight rebounds against his former club. Ayton said the shortage of healthy contributors ultimately proved too difficult to overcome.
Source: Lakers Nation
