LeBron James, who was not with the Lakers this week for “personal reasons,” will miss Minnesota’s game against the Timberwolves on Friday.
The team listed him as “out” on Thursday with left leg soreness, a problem that surfaced last week after the Lakers played the Miami Heat. James led the team to victory on Sunday against Portland.
“For us, we have to be aware as we play more and more games, just the cumulative effect of playing a lot of minutes,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said after Wednesday’s practice. “And on Sunday, when he was knocked down with that leg, it was a good opportunity for him to rest.
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James has called playing all 82 games a “goal” on multiple occasions, though Redick acknowledged it may not be the best thing for the Lakers or James.
In 23 games this season, he averaged 23 points, 8.0 rebounds and 9.1 assists.
But the Lakers are well on their way to the return of Austin Reaves after missing five games with a bruised pelvis, the result of a hard fall in the Lakers’ loss to Oklahoma City.
The Lakers play again on Sunday against Memphis, which would mean a whole week of rest for James. If he misses this game against the Grizzlies, the Lakers will be off until next Thursday — a period that would mean nearly two weeks between games.
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This story originally appeared in the Los Angeles Times.