You won’t believe who might miss the big Lakers vs. Bucks game due to ankle soreness

LeBron James is doubtful for Tuesday's road game against the Milwaukee Bucks due to left ankle soreness, the Los Angeles Lakers announced Monday.

James has been dealing with the ankle issue for months. The last game he missed for this reason was, coincidentally, a Lakers victory over Milwaukee on March 8.

LA started Spencer Dinwiddie in place of James in that win over Milwaukee.

The 21-year-old veteran played 38 minutes in Los Angeles' 150-145 victory over the Indiana Pacers on Sunday, contributing 26 points and 10 assists.

The Bucks game is the start of a six-game road trip for the Lakers, who sit in the No. 9 seed in the Western Conference with 11 games left.

Lakers guard D'Angelo Russell, who missed the Indiana game with a non-COVID-related illness, is not listed on the injury report against Milwaukee.

“We know where we are right now,” James said after the Pacers game. “He just keeps trying to play good basketball. That's a very irritating road trip for us. It's very strange – I don't remember in my career where I've had such a late road trip down the East Coast, or vice versa when I was in the I'm going West this late in the season, so that's a challenge.

“But we're looking forward to it.”

Los Angeles currently sits 3 games behind the Phoenix Suns for the No. 6 seed in the conference, which they would need to secure to avoid the play-in tournament. The Lakers are 2.5 games ahead of the No. 10 Golden State Warriors.