Is LeBron James Playing vs Mavericks? Final Lakers Injury Report Revealed

Ricardo Sandoval | 20 Hours Ago

Dec 12, 2023; Dallas, Texas, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) walks off the court during the second half against the Dallas Mavericks at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images / Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

The Los Angeles Lakers will take on the Dallas Mavericks in this Western Conference showdown in early January.

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This game will be vital down the stretch, as both teams will be jockeying for position in the conference standings. It will go a long way, and it will be key for the Lakers to hold the tiebreak for the time being.

This is a must-win for the Lakers, as it is against every Western Conference team. Luckily, they will have their superstar forward, LeBron James, on the court for them tonight.

James, who was listed as probable prior to the game, has been upgraded to available.

Lakers’ starters in Dallas:

Austin Reaves
Max Christie
Run Hachimura
LeBron James
Anthony Davis

Record: 5-3

— Jovan Buha (@jovanbuha) January 8, 2025

James, who was on the injury report due to left foot injury management, is fine enough to play. James has been playing through a left foot injury as of late, but it didn't slow him down during the Lakers' 119-115 loss to the Rockets on Sunday.

He was spectacular in his latest outing as he was tied for second in team scoring with 21 points, 13 rebounds, nine assists, and one steal over 36 minutes.

Since and including Dec. 1, James has averaged 26.5 points on 51.7 percent shooting and 39 percent from three, along with 8.5 assists and 6.7 rebounds over 34.5 minutes per game.

Overall, James has been his usual self, averaging 24.0 points, 8.9 assists, 7.6 rebounds, and 0.8 steals in 32 games and 34.9 minutes of action.

The Lakers enter this contest as road favorites with a -6.5 spread. The over/under is set at 218.5, and the money line is in the Lakers' favor at -260.

Los Angeles will look to improve to their 21st win overall and their 17th against conference opponents. The Lakers are 8-11 against opponents over .500.

As for the Mavericks, they are 14-13  against Western Conference opponents. Dallas ranks ninth in the NBA with 33.9 defensive rebounds per game, led by Luka Dončić, who averages 7.6.

While that is the case, both of Dallas' superstars, Dončić and Kyrie Irving, will be out due to injuries. The Mavericks are 0-3 without their two stars, so this is a golden opportunity the Lakers cannot let slip through their hands.

In their last games 10 games, L.A. holds a 7-3 record while averaging  115.1 points, 43.8 rebounds, 26.9 assists, 6.9 steals, and 5.0 blocks per game while shooting 47.9 percent from the field. Their opponents have averaged 111.0 points.

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