LeBron James posted 19 points, eight rebounds and three assists in 30 minutes during his return to action against the Bulls on Sunday, in a contest the Lakers dropped by a 118-108 score. The superstar forward had missed the last 13 games while recovering from what he said was a torn tendon in his right foot -- an injury which generally takes longer than a month to heal.
Per The Athletic's Jovan Buha, James actually received a pair of medical recommendations for season-ending surgery. Turning down that advice, he continued searching for a non-surgical path which would allow him to return to the court and eventually set up an appointment to see the "LeBron James of feet," who evidently helped guide and speed up the future Hall of Famer's recovery.
We have more from the Pacific Division:
- Deandre Ayton missed the Suns’ win over Philadelphia on Saturday. Ayton has missed four consecutive games due to a right hip contusion but there is optimism he will be able to play on Monday against the Jazz. He should be considered probable for that contest. Hat tip to Shams Charania of The Athletic for the note.
- The Clippers have lost three of their last five games, including a 21-point defeat at the hands of New Orleans. The Pelicans controlled the game from the start and matters only worsened for Los Angeles as the contest wore on, with Kawhi Leonard leaving the game in the third quarter after taking an elbow to the face. The Clippers play four games over the next six days (beginning on Monday night) and need a strong season finish to avoid the play-in tournament. Said head coach Tyronn Lue, "It’s tough to dig yourself a hole and try to climb out every single night. We got to be better starting games.” Per the team, Leonard is probable to play on Monday.
- As expected, Gary Payton II was available to play for the first time since the Warriors re-acquired him from the Trail Blazers at the trade deadline, Kendra Andrews of ESPN tweets. He had been sidelined by a right adductor injury.
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