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LeBron James and the LA Lakers are heading to Houston on Wednesday night to face the Rockets. The Lakers are 0-2 in their ongoing four-game road trip after losses against the Orlando Magic and Miami Heat. So, is LeBron James playing against the Rockets?
According to the latest Lakers injury report on NBA.com, James will be available to play at the Toyota Center. The Lakers prefer giving "The King" some rest after all the heavy lifting he has done in Year 21 and less than two months before his 39th birthday.
However, the Lakers have been terrible when James sits on the bench. They are also ravaged by the injury bug to start the season. These are just a couple of reasons why they are on a two-game losing streak and have a 3-4 record.
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LeBron James is averaging 25.3 points, 8.4 rebounds, 5.9 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.1 blocks per game. Those are amazing numbers for someone in his 21st season in the NBA. He's also shooting 56.1% from the floor, but at just 32.5% from beyond the arc and 65.0% from free throws.
James is also playing 35.9 minutes per game, which is a far cry from what LA Lakers coach Darvin Ham planned. Ham wanted the four-time NBA MVP to average about 29 minutes per night, but the team is still too dependent on him to get wins.
The injury bug doesn't help either, with six players on the injury report for Wednesday's showdown against the upstart Houston Rockets. Rui Hachimura is listed as probable and will need to pass the league's concussion protocol.
Anthony Davis and Jaxson Hayes are questionable due to hip spasms and a left ankle sprain, respectively. Gabe Vincent, Jarred Vanderbilt and Jalen Hood-Schifino are all listed as out with no timetable for their return.
Dillon Brooks ready to defend LeBron James
Dillon Brooks has not learned his lesson from last season after commenting about LeBron James ahead of the LA Lakers-Houston Rockets matchup. Brooks, who now plays for the Rockets, famously "poked the bear" in the playoffs, but it came to bite him back, as the Lakers eliminated the Memphis Grizzlies.
The Grizzlies publicly stayed away from Brooks, who signed a huge deal with the Rockets in free agency. Ahead of their first matchup since the first round of the postseason, the brash forward sent a message to "The King."
"Ready to lock him up," Brooks told reporters on Tuesday. "He's been shooting the ball well. He's been playing well. I'm just there to make him tired, make him get into that fourth quarter early."
