Is LeBron James Playing? Lakers Release Final Injury Report vs Rockets

The Los Angeles Lakers are set to take on the Houston Rockets, the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference. The Lakers will host the Rockets for the first of two times in the season.

This will be the second meeting between the two this season and the first of two meetings in the next 11 days at Crypto.com Arena. These next two contests against the Rockets will be vital for both teams as they look to get the upper hand on each other in the standings.

The Rockets are currently 1-0 against the Lakers in the season series, having last played in Texas in early January. However, the Lakers are an entirely different team this time around, as they now have international superstar Luka Doncic.

We'll see if he can be the difference-maker in this contest. While Doncic is vital, so is the Lakers 40-year-old superstar, LeBron James.

Unfortunately, entering this game, James landed on the injury report. However, he was listed as a probable and is likely to play.

The Lakers recently upgraded James to be available and will start.

The Lakers say LeBron James (left groin strain) has been upgraded to available for tonight’s game vs. Houston.
— Jovan Buha (@jovanbuha) April 1, 2025

James will play in his 64th game of the season and his sixth consecutive game since returning from his left groin strain.

The 21-time All-Star played in one of his best games since his return on Saturday against the Memphis Grizzlies. James recorded 25 points on 10-of-21 shooting from the field, six rebounds, eight assists, one block, and three steals in 37 minutes of action.

In the season, James is averaging 24.5 points per game, 8.1 rebounds, 8.5 assists, and 1.0 steals while shooting 51.1 percent from the field and 37.3 percent from three in 35.0 minutes of action.

The Lakers enter this match with a 45-29 record, while the Rockets sit with a 49-26 record. Houston currently has a 3.5-game lead over the Lakers.

A win on Monday for L.A. will help tremendously, with much left to leapfrog the Rockets possibly. There is one more match in the season between the two after Monday.

The Lakers boast a 31-13 record against Western Conference opponents and rank eighth in the conference in fast break scoring, averaging 15.6 points per game in transition, with James leading the way at 4.8 per game.

Meanwhile, the Rockets hold a 27-17 record within the conference but struggle with ball movement. They rank last in the West with just 23.1 assists per game, led by Fred VanVleet’s 5.6.

Houston has been on a tear, winning nine of its last 10 games.

On the other hand, the Lakers have been steady but unspectacular, going 5-5 in that stretch while putting up 115.9 points, 41.6 rebounds, 26.7 assists, 8.3 steals, and 3.3 blocks per game on 47.7 percent shooting from the field.

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