Lakers star LeBron James out vs. 76ers with sore knee

The struggling Los Angeles Lakers just cannot get right during the darkest days of winter. All-Star forward Anthony Davis made a long-awaited return to the lineup for what became Tuesday's victory over the Brooklyn Nets, but the Lakers announced earlier on Thursday that superstar LeBron James was questionable for Thursday's matchup at the Philadelphia 76ers because of left knee soreness.

Per Dave McMenamin of ESPN, Lakers coach Frank Vogel confirmed roughly 90 minutes before tipoff that James won't play in at least Thursday's contest.

Vogel said James, 37, is considered day-to-day because of the discomfort he experienced when he woke up on Thursday. The four-time NBA champion missed a total of 12 games earlier in the season because of a right ankle issue, a suspension and a COVID-19 test result later deemed a "false positive."

Per ESPN stats, James leads the Lakers among eligible players in scoring (29.1 PPG), steals (1.6), blocks (1.1) and player efficiency rating (27.36). Despite his efforts, though, Los Angeles begins Thursday's action at 24-24, ninth in the Western Conference standings and a legitimate candidate for the spring's play-in tournament.

The Lakers will be at the Charlotte Hornets on Friday evening, and James' status for that game may not be known until late in the afternoon. If he can't go then, his next opportunity to return will be Sunday afternoon at the Atlanta Hawks.