Is LeBron James playing tonight against Minnesota Timberwolves? Latest on 4x MVP's status (Dec. 21)

LeBron James and the LA Lakers continue their road trip with a game against the Minnesota Timberwolves tonight. James' status for the game was again questionable. It's the second night of a back-to-back. James will miss the game tonight.

James had only missed two games since he sustained a calf contusion on Nov 10. against the Suns. The Lakers star has looked in good condition when on the court, playing efficiently and consistently. As per Shams Charania, James will sit out tonight for game against Timberwolves.

LA has lost four of its last five games since winning the 2023 NBA In-Season Tournament. It's coming off a dismal 124-108 loss against the Chicago Bulls to drop to 15-13 on the season.

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What happened to LeBron James?

LeBron James sustained a calf contusion against the Phoenix Suns on Nov. 10 in a 122-119 win. The Lakers star has missed two games because of the injury. He has been a game-time decision since then. The expectation is that he will likely suit up tonight.

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LeBron James stats vs Minnesota Timberwolves

James has played 40 games against the Timberwolves. He holds a 30-10 record against the Western Conference leaders.

James has averaged 25.9 points, 8.2 rebounds and 7.6 assists against the Timberwolves, shooting on 54/40/72 splits. It's the first time James and the Lakers will meet Minnesota this season.

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LeBron James and Lakers' struggles continue amid grueling road trip

The Lakers arguably have the worst schedule in the NBA since Dec. 5. They have played at home once since then.

That's 18 days of travel in 27 days, with six more to come in the next 11. Their only home game ended in a 114-109 loss against the New York Knicks. The Lakers traveled to Chicago on Wednesday and play in Minnesota tonight on the back end of a back-to-back.

Their regular season struggles have amplified amid this tiring schedule. That reflected in their 124-108 loss against the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday. The Lakers looked listless against a Zach LaVine-less Bulls outfit, committing 13 turnovers, five of them coming from LeBron James.

The Lakers were -8 on the boards and had no response to the Bull's hot shooting night. Chicago shot 18-of-34. It was once again the role players from an opponent proving decisive against the veteran Lakers team.

Except for Jevon Carter, who went two-for-seven from deep, five other Bulls players made at least three triples. Ayo Dosunmu went four of five. The Lakers could only convert 12-of-37 shots from the arc.

Every team has rough stretches of schedule, so LA being able to secure just one win in five games is inexcusable. LeBron James' production is good during this period, but it has come with momentum-killing turnovers and poor decisions in the clutch, which needs to change.

The Lakers will hope that James and the rest of the group find the rhythm they need against the mighty Timberwolves, who will also be playing on the second night of a back-to-back.