LeBron James out against New York Knicks, targeting Wednesday return

May 9, 2021; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) yells from the sidelines during the second half against the Phoenix Suns at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports

May 9, 2021; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) yells from the sidelines during the second half against the Phoenix Suns at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports

Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James won’t return Tuesday night after all and is now targeting a Wednesday comeback, ESPN reported.

James wants to rest his ailing ankle one more day, per Tuesday’s report. The Lakers play the New York Knicks on Tuesday night and take on the Houston Rockets a night later.

Reports had indicated that James, 36, was planning his return vs. the Knicks.

James suffered a right, high-ankle sprain against the Atlanta Hawks on March 20, forcing him to miss 20 games in a row.

James returned from the injury six weeks later at the end of April. He played in two games against the Sacramento Kings and Toronto Raptors, both losses for the Lakers.

James complained about sharp pain in his sore right ankle after the Raptors game, shutting it down for the last four games to allow for more time to let his ankle heal.

In all, James has missed 25 games this season. The Lakers are 10-15 in those contests. Los Angeles is 28-15 in games that James started this season.

The Lakers (38-30) remain the No. 7 seed in the Western Conference with four games to play.

–Field Level Media

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