LeBron James will have to wait a few more days before he can start another double-digit streak.
The Lakers announced that their superstar will sit out their game against the Celtics on Friday, a turning point that comes a day after he failed to score at least 10 points in a regular-season game for the first time since 2007.
The team stated that James’ absence is due to ongoing problems with sciatica and arthritis in the left foot joint.
James, 40, missed the first month of the NBA season due to sciatica and made his return on Nov. 23 against the Utah Jazz. He scored 17 points and recorded six rebounds and eight assists.
He has played in four games since then, with his most notable performance Thursday night against Toronto.
James recorded just eight points in the game, which snapped an incredible run of 1,297 games in which he scored at least double figures. However, the NBA’s all-time leading scorer did make the pass that led to the winning basket at the buzzer, something he said he doesn’t regret losing its historic mark on.
“None,” he told the media. “We won.”
The Lakers are 4-1 in the games James has played in. This season they are 16-5.
Tip-off for Friday night’s game is 7:00 PM ET, and in addition to no James, the Lakers will also be without Luka Doncic (personal) and Marcus Smart (strained left lumbar muscle).
The Celtics, meanwhile, enter the game healthy as Jaylen Brown, who missed Boston’s game against the Wizards on Thursday night, is expected to return to the hardwood.
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