The short-handed Los Angeles Lakers were taken down by the Brooklyn Nets on Monday night, their second straight loss.
The Nets were lacking Kevin Durant but the Lakers were lacking both LeBron James and Anthony Davis, meaning they had slim chances of pulling out a win.
Following that loss, LA was hopeful they’d have a whole roster ready to go on Tuesday because they are set to face off against the New York Knicks in their second of back-to-back games.
LeBron James will play tonight against the New York Knicks, sources told ESPN. It will be his first game at Madison Square Garden since January 2020.
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) January 31, 2023
The good news is that James is indeed scheduled to play in Tuesday night’s game.
This will be James’ first game at Madison Square Garden since January 2020.
The star player didn’t participate in the game at MSG last year due to a suspension he was serving.
So this is his first chance in three years to hit the floor of one of the most storied arenas in the world.
It also comes on the heels of a very painful and controversial loss.
James is still reeling from the refs’ no-call on a foul committed against him by the Boston Celtics on Saturday.
The four-time champion was visibly upset after the lack of a call.
He was still talking about it a day later when the NBA officially announced that the referees made a mistake.
Will he be using that anger as energy to overcome the Knicks and score a much-needed win?
At this point, the Lakers need to really start looking like playoff contenders, or else even their most devoted fans will lose hope in them reaching the postseason.
The good news is that even though they have a 23-28 record, they are only a few wins away from being in contention for the playoffs.
All they need is a string of good wins and James can certainly help them get that.
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