Is LeBron James playing tonight vs Trail Blazers? LeBron James injury news revealed

The Los Angeles Lakers had LeBron James and Anthony Davis back, only to have them both sidelined on different occasions. James was back for two games, before leaving with a sore right ankle. While Davis might be back soon, James' injury and time off the court could end up hampering the Lakers chances to confirm a spot in the NBA playoffs. So here is more information on - 'Is LeBron James playing tonight?' and the LeBron James return update.

LeBron James injury update: Is LeBron James playing tonight?

According to recent reports, James will not be playing against the Damian Lillard-led Portland Trail Blazers. The Lakers vs Trail Blazers game is scheduled on Friday, 10:00 PM (Saturday, 7:30 AM IST). Along with James, the team will also be missing Dennis Schrder. Davis, who left the LA Clippers game with back spasms, is hopeful to play vs Portland. 

LeBron James return: When is LeBron James coming back?

As per recent LeBron James injury reports, the Lakers superstar was looking to return to the lineup next week (via The Athletic's Shams Charania). However, head coach Frank Vogel stated that James absence has not been medical. "I don't want to say I came back too early, but at the end of the day, I had to test it out and see where I was at," James said. As of now, reports state that James could be back when the Lakers face the New York Knicks or Houston Rockets. 

Frank Vogel said LeBron James will be out for the Clippers game, and will be listed as day-to-day after that.

— Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter)

While James has missed a large chunk of games before, his absence could end up hurting the team before the playoffs. “We’ll see. It’s not an ideal situation,” Vogel had said earlier. "Ideally, he’s 100% and has 10 games to get his legs and timing under him. We’re not going to have that situation. So we’re going to make the best of it". 

Anthony Davis injury update

During the Lakers 118-94 loss vs the Clippers, Davis was ruled out during the second half with back spasms. This came as a blow to the Lakers, who already have James benched. While the team is still ranked sixth, a loss against Damian Lillard and the Trail Blazers will earn them a spot in the play-in tournament. 

The Clippers encounter was Davis' eighth game back after his calf strain, and the player was slowly building his health back up. Without Davis on the court, the Lakers failed to keep up. "The back locked up pretty bad," he said after the game, adding that he will be hoping to play the Portland game. 

"The play-in tournament is out of my control," Vogel said. "If we're in it, we'll compete and we'll win those games so that we can try to advance. Whether we should have one or not is really not up to me. So I don't spend too much time or thought on whether it's good or not".

(Image credits: AP)