James was listed as questionable ahead of Saturday’s game at the Portland Trail Blazers, having aggravated the injury during a Christmas Day loss to the Los Angeles Clippers.
But the four-time MVP played through the pain to score 21 points and make 16 assists as the Lakers snapped a four-game losing streak with a 128-120 victory.
Despite also landing heavily on his elbow after a fall, James is ready to patch himself up and go again against the Mavs.
“I’m fine, I’ll be alright. Yes [it was the same part of the elbow I hit in Miami], pretty much,” he told reporters before being asked if he would face Dallas.
“Yes, I’m planning on it,” he replied. “As long as this ice takes care of its business and I wake up comfortably and healthily, yeah.
“I’m doing alright for myself.”
Lakers coach Frank Vogel maintained James would need to be assessed closely.
“When you have a back-to-back, you just treat it like this is the only game you’re playing and then figure out tomorrow tomorrow,” he said, as quoted by ESPN.
Kyle Kuzma led the Lakers with 24 points, while Anthony Davis contributed 20 and Rajon Rondo provided 15 points and four assists from the bench.
“Rondo came in with so much, his pace was incredible. Kuz is keeping up his streak of scoring the ball with the punch we’ve been wanting all year,” James added, with Kuzma having defused potential pre-match tension caused by his personal trainer making critical comments of LeBron on social media.
“He’s getting back to his groove. And AC [Alex Caruso], and Dwight [Howard] was a monster in the paint. Everybody else just chipped in. It was a good all-around game.”
3 votes
