The Los Angeles Lakers announced LeBron James is doubtful for Friday night’s game against the Boston Celtics, while Luka Dončić and Marcus Smart are ruled out.
James’ injury designation is right sciatica and left arthritis, while Smart is dealing with a left lumbar muscle strain. Dončić has been away from the team for the birth of his second child in Slovenia.
James is coming off a notable performance Thursday night, when his incredible 10-point streak — which has stood since 2007 — ended in thrilling fashion. With eight points on the stat sheet, James had the ball in the waning seconds of a tie game against the Raptors, but opted to pass to Rui Hachimura, who hit the game-winning 3-pointer.
James has played in just six of the Lakers’ 21 games this season because of sciatica, and his 14.0 average points per game are easily the fewest of his career. His next-lowest total was in his rookie year in 2003-04, when he averaged 20.9 points in 79 games.
Still, the Lakers (16-5) are good for second in the Western Conference behind the one-loss Oklahoma City Thunder.
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