Is LeBron James playing tonight against the Portland Trail Blazers? | 2021-22 NBA season

The LA Lakers' struggles continued following their 131-116 emphatic loss against the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday night, even with LeBron James in the lineup.

The Lakers (26-29) sit ninth in the Western Conference and are 5-10 in their last 15 games (since Jan. 9).

No Laker imagined they would be fighting just to make the play-in tournament at this stage of the season. But given how poorly Russell Westbrook has played, their experiment with bringing a third star into the fold has not produced the desired results.

There is still time for the Lakers to turn things around and give themselves a chance of finishing as the sixth or seventh seed. However, they will need to go on an incredible winning run to achieve that.

The purple and gold have the opportunity to go back to winning ways Wednesday night against the rebuilding Portland Trail Blazers (21-34). Their best chance of winning is undoubtedly with LeBron, which is why his availability is a source of concern for fans.

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What is LeBron James' status for tonight's game against the Portland Trail Blazers?

LeBron James #6 of the Los Angeles Lakers makes a slam dunk against the Milwaukee Bucks

According to Lakers reporter Mike Trudell, LeBron is listed as "questionable" for Wednesday night's game against the Trail Blazers. He missed five games due to a swelling in his knee but has played in their last two games.

Although James made a return against the New York Knicks on Saturday and played Tuesday night against the Bucks, the 37-year-old is not 100% and might not be healthy enough to play in a back-to-back. The four-time NBA champ might sit out this game to avoid making the injury worse.

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When will LeBron James return?

There is no official date for his return. However, he has proved he can play through it and might be good to go. If he is unavailable, the Lakers will depend on Anthony Davis and Malik Monk to spur the team to victory.

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How does LeBron James' absence impact the LA Lakers?

It hasn't been a great season for the Lakers, with or without LeBron. Nonetheless, his impact cannot be refuted, as they have won only six games in 17 attempts without LeBron.

In his 38 appearances, "King James" has led the team to 20 wins and is averaging 29.0 points, 7.7 rebounds, 6.4 assists, and 1.6 steals while shooting 52.4%.