SAN FRANCISCO — The Los Angeles Lakers started the final stretch of the season with a disappointing 128-110 loss to the Golden State Warriors on Thursday but will «in all likelihood» have LeBron James back in the lineup on Friday, according to Lakers coach Darvin Ham.
James has played just 14 minutes of game action in the last week and a half, and all of those came in the NBA All-Star Game — hardly a challenging athletic endeavor, especially this year.
After missing the Lakers' last game before the All-Star break because of a sore left ankle, James sat out again Thursday in order to rest the ankle after seeking treatment on it during the break, sources told ESPN.
L.A. hosts the San Antonio Spurs on the second night of a back-to-back for both teams. The Spurs lost 127-122 on the road to the Sacramento Kings on Thursday. «We'll get an official word [Friday] morning and see, but in all likelihood, he should be out there tomorrow,» Ham said of James.