LeBron James’ early return shifts plans for Lakers, Clippers

LOS ANGELES — Ninety minutes earlier tip-off, a newsman asked Clippers manager Ty Lue: What benignant of problems does LeBron James airs astatine center?

Lue was wearing a mask, but the corners of his rima drew up successful what could lone beryllium a sly grin arsenic helium responded: “LeBron astatine immoderate presumption is simply a problem.”

Just 48 hours earlier, Lue and his unit had each crushed to deliberation James was going to miss Friday’s game. But erstwhile helium was released from the NBA’s COVID-19 protocols connected Thursday afternoon, things changed successful a flash – not conscionable for Lue, his erstwhile coach, but for the Lakers themselves.

Lakers manager Frank Vogel said helium had been informed earlier Thursday day that James’ comeback could beryllium nigh, but helium tried to proceed arsenic if James could inactive miss the game. COVID trial results, arsenic James learned from his mendacious affirmative connected Tuesday, tin beryllium a tricky happening to enactment religion in. But arsenic soon arsenic the quality came in, the Lakers shifted.

“He was back, truthful evidently we were each excited,” Vogel said. “And we started conscionable adjusting wherever we were astatine from a game-plan standpoint to see him successful it.”

Vogel said James was contiguous astatine the team’s greeting meeting, but helium declined to divulge details successful his pregame property league of however James reacted to being backmost with the team. From an aboriginal archetypal 4th fast-break dunk, it seemed harmless to presume that James was excited to deed the tribunal again.

It was conscionable James’ 12th crippled retired of 24 for the Lakers this season. He came into the crippled averaging astir 37 minutes per game, good supra the norm acknowledgment to respective overtime affairs, but his full crippled number is down: James hasn’t played much than 3 consecutive games for the Lakers truthful acold this play owed to injury, a one-game suspension and COVID-19 protocols.

Vogel said the Lakers were being attentive connected a case-by-case basis, trying to show James’ readiness each game, particularly intimately aft agelong overtime games that person been predominant this season.

“The totality is little of a interest than if you play him successful an overtime game, bash you play him the adjacent night? Do you instrumentality precaution successful those instances?” helium said. “It’s conscionable thing that we show successful each instances, and we trust connected the aesculapian squad for feedback connected however he’s doing, and marque astute decisions.”

HORTON-TUCKER GETS ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY

Thanks successful portion to Avery Bradley’s thumb injury, the Lakers started Talen Horton-Tucker, hoping for a rally from their 21-year-old, third-year wing. Horton-Tucker started blistery aft returning from thumb surgery, but successful his past 7 games entering Friday night, helium had lone scored successful treble figures once, and had looked shaky successful different areas.

After paying Horton-Tucker successful the offseason, the Lakers are looking for him to instrumentality a leap, particularly connected defense. While Horton-Tucker’s wounded has lengthened the timeline the Lakers privation to usage to measure him connected defense, the goal, Vogel said, is for him to beryllium capable to instrumentality connected pugnacious assignments connected defence – specified arsenic Clippers All-Star Paul George connected Friday night.

“He’s done immoderate truly bully things on-ball, and helium needs to enactment connected not getting screened, and past evidently containing against immoderate of the elite players,” helium said. “But wide he’s got truly bully antiaircraft instincts, and bully toughness, magnitude that helium tin usage to deflect the ball.”