LOS ANGELES (AP) — LeBron James is set to play for the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday night after missing seven games due to a strained left groin.
The NBA’s all-time leading scorer returned to the starting lineup against the Chicago Bulls, concluding the Lakers’ five-game homestand. James suffered the injury during a March 8 loss to Boston, which ended the Lakers' eight-game winning streak. Without him, they dropped three straight road games before winning the first three of their current homestand.
The 40-year-old James left the team briefly for treatment but has participated in multiple workouts over the past week. He has played in 58 of the Lakers’ first 69 games this season, averaging 25.0 points, 8.5 assists, and 8.2 rebounds. Just before his injury, he became the first NBA player to surpass 50,000 combined points in regular-season and playoff history.
The Lakers also welcomed back Rui Hachimura, who returned after missing 12 games with a knee injury. Hachimura, averaging 13.3 points per game, is a key two-way player for the team.
“Getting those two guys back is huge,” coach JJ Redick said. “We’ve seen a drop-off in transition offense without them.”
Los Angeles fell to Milwaukee on Thursday while also missing Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, leaving them without four starters in their sixth game in eight days. Doncic and Reaves were cleared to return against Chicago as well.
“We haven’t had much time with our full team available,” Redick added. “These last 13 games will be crucial for building chemistry and getting back to the form we had before the Boston game.”
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