LeBron James Set to Return as Lakers Face Bulls

LOS ANGELES (AP) — LeBron James is clear to return to the Los Angeles Lakers‘ lineup Saturday night after missing seven games due to a strained left groin. The Lakers are set to face the Chicago Bulls in the final game of their five-game homestand at the Staples Center.

James suffered his injury on March 8 during a game against the defending champion Boston Celtics. The injury halted an eight-game winning streak that lifted the Lakers to second place in the Western Conference. Following his departure, the team faced three consecutive losses on the road before bouncing back with three straight wins in their current homestand.

The 40-year-old forward participated in several workouts in the past week, showing signs of readiness. James has averaged 25.0 points, 8.5 assists, and 8.2 rebounds in 58 games this season, marking his record-tying 22nd season in the NBA. Notably, two games prior to his injury, he became the first NBA player to reach a significant milestone that includes both the regular season and playoffs.

The Lakers are also set to welcome back starting forward Rui Hachimura, who has been sidelined for 12 games due to a knee injury. Hachimura, the fourth-leading scorer on the team averaging 13.3 points per game, adds crucial depth and versatility as a two-way player.

“Getting those two guys back, I don’t know what the numbers are, but we’ve had a drop-off in our transition offense, and it’s because we haven’t had those two guys,” said Lakers coach JJ Redick. The team faced challenges on Thursday as both Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves were unavailable, leaving the Lakers without four regular starters during their sixth game in eight days. Fortunately, Doncic and Reaves received clearance to return against the Bulls.

Redick expressed optimism about the team’s future: “We just haven’t had a lot of time with our full team available. We’ve had to manage this all season long, no matter which iteration of this team it’s been. So I’m excited for these last 13 games to build some continuity, build some chemistry, and hopefully, the way we were playing prior to the Boston game, we can kind of get back to that.”