Lakers rule out LeBron James vs. Bucks because of ankle - ESPN

LOS ANGELES — LeBron James has been downgraded to out for the Los Angeles Lakers' game against the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday night because of a sore left ankle, the team announced.

It will be the ninth missed game for James, 39, this season.

He missed the Lakers' last game before the All-Star break and the first one after it while seeking treatment on the ankle, which has been an ongoing issue for the 21-year veteran for months.

The Lakers star limped off the court with just under four minutes to go in the team's loss to the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday.

A source familiar with the injury told ESPN it is a «wear and tear» issue for James.

«It's just something I've been dealing with,» James said after the Kings loss.

Despite winning 10 of its past 15 games, L.A. has fallen to No. 10 in the Western Conference playoff race entering Friday, and the team's upcoming schedule is unforgiving.

The Lakers' next four games are against the Bucks, the No. 2 team in the East; the Minnesota Timberwolves, the No. 1 team in the West; the West's No. 7 team in Sacramento; and the West's No. 9 team in the Golden State Warriors.

The Lakers are 4-4 this season in games James has missed.