Watch select games of the NBA 2021-22 regular season LIVE on SBS VICELAND and SBS On Demand.
Los Angeles Lakers head to Detroit to take on the Pistons in our next game on November 22 (10:00 am - 1:00 pm AEDT). Find all the details of the .
NBA Superstar James has only played in six games this season, with his latest injury, an abdominal strain, keeping him off the court since November 2.
According to a report from NBA Insider Adrian Wojnarowski, Lakers officials are optimistic James will return this week with the team two games into a five-game road trip.
That update comes just a day after head coach Frank Vogel said James has been "progressing great" in his on-court workouts, though he has yet to be a full participant in practice.
Both of those will be prerequisites for James getting back on the court, and it seems like that could happen in enough time for him to suit up for the Boston game.
His return couldn’t come at a better time for LA after going down in three of their past four games.
The 36-year-old could make his comeback on Saturday (AEDT) against the Celtics or on Monday (AEDT) against the Detroit Pistons, a match which will be shown live on SBS VICELAND.
Without James on the court, the Lakers have struggled to find their groove with Anthony Davis and star recruit Russell Westbrook unable to make up for his absence.
Through 15 games, the Lakers are 4-2 when he plays, compared to 4-5 when he sits, and are currently in seventh place in the crowded Western Conference at 8-7.
There's still plenty of season left to play, but the longer they have to play without James, the worse it gets for the Lakers.
As we saw last season when they ended up in the play-in tournament because of a lost tiebreaker, one game can make all the difference in terms of seeding and matchups for the playoffs.
Monday, November 22
Los Angeles Lakers v Detroit Pistons
10:00am - 12:30pm (AEDT)
LIVE on SBS VICELAND and SBS On Demand
