Lakers exclude LeBron James from matchup against Thunder due to foot discomfort.
LOS ANGELES — LeBron James will be absent from Tuesday’s matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder due to soreness in his left foot, as announced by the Los Angeles Lakers.
James, 41, has experienced discomfort in his left foot throughout the season and is managing the injury after taking on an increased workload in Sunday’s 134-128 defeat to the Dallas Mavericks, where he recorded 30 points, 15 assists, and nine rebounds in 39 minutes during L.A.’s first game following significant injuries to Luka Doncic (left hamstring) and Austin Reaves (left oblique) last week.
Tuesday marks the beginning of a sequence of three games in four nights for L.A., with a back-to-back scheduled for Thursday on the road against the Golden State Warriors and Friday at home against the Phoenix Suns.
The Lakers currently sit at No. 4 in the Western Conference with four games left in the regular season. They are a half game behind the Denver Nuggets but possess the tiebreaker over Denver.
The Lakers will also be without Marcus Smart for the game against Oklahoma City. He will miss his eighth consecutive game due to a right ankle contusion.
The Thunder have a 3-0 record against the Lakers this season, including a 139-96 victory in Oklahoma City on Thursday.
