Los Angeles Lakers head coach Frank Vogel announced that LeBron James will be in the starting lineup for the team’s Sunday road game against the Detroit Pistons.
LeBron came through his first game back, at Boston, just fine physically. He’ll start today at Detroit, per Frank Vogel.
— Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) November 21, 2021
James returned to action in the Lakers’ Friday night loss to the Boston Celtics. In 32 minutes of action, the 36-year-old veteran contributed 23 points, six rebounds, two assists and two steals.
Although the Lakers came up short against the Celtics, the sight of James returning was a welcome sight for a Lakers team that has struggled during the first month of the regular season.
James suffered an abdominal strain during the Lakers’ Nov. 2 home victory over the Houston Rockets. There had been some fear that he’d be out of the lineup for an extended period, though that concern eventually faded.
Now in his fourth season with the Lakers, James has had injury issues during three of those campaigns, Last year, his injury coincided with the absence of Anthony Davis for an extended period, with the end result being a quick postseason exit.
The Lakers enter their game against the Pistons with an 8-9 record and in the midst of a three-game losing streak. Sunday night’s clash marks the halfway point of their five-game swing through the Eastern Conference.
Following Sunday’s game, the Lakers finish up their trip with a Tuesday night game against the New York Knicks and a Wednesday contest against the Indiana Pacers.
The hope is that James is able to perform as usual on Tuesday and Wednesday, given the rigors of playing three games in a four-day span.
