After initially being upgraded from out to doubtful for Sunday’s game vs. the Chicago Bulls, Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James is now being listed as questionable to play this afternoon, according to the team (Twitter link via Marc Stein).
James is expected to test his injured right foot during pregame warmups on Sunday to see if he’ll be able to play, a source tells Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link).
While the latest updates don’t mean James will definitely be activated on Sunday, they suggest his return to the court is closer than previously believed. Reports on Thursday indicated that James was optimistic about playing again during the final week of the regular season—if he’s able to suit up today, he’d be back with two full weeks still left in the season.
James last played exactly one month ago, on Feb. 26 against Dallas. He sustained a foot injury in that game and was diagnosed with a tendon injury in his right foot a few days later, with the team ruling him out for at least three weeks. He has since resumed doing on-court work.
The Lakers have played well without James, going 8-5 in the 13 games he has missed, but they’d certainly welcome his return to the lineup as they attempt to secure a postseason berth. L.A. is currently in a three-way tie for seventh place in the West—the Lakers, Timberwolves, and Pelicans are all 37-37.
More must-reads: