LeBron James will likely return for Tuesday’s game against the New York Knicks as his injured right ankle has been pain-free after several days off, sources told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski on Monday.
Lakers coach Frank Vogel said James was a full participant in practice Monday but did not officially reveal his status for Tuesday’s game.
“We did some drill work. We did some contrived scrimmages and we did a short, full scrimmage,” Vogel said when asked what Monday’s practice entailed. “And he did all of it.”
James missed six weeks due to a high right ankle sprain before a two-game return against Toronto and Sacramento. He then missed the next four games in an attempt to rest the ankle.
James visited an ankle specialist last week, sources told ESPN, and has made considerable improvement in his on-court workouts without experiencing the “sharp pain” he reported in the losses to the Kings and Raptors. He previously had difficulty making hard cuts and elevating, sources told Wojnarowski.
