LeBron James out Friday, day-to-day with leg muscle strain

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (AP) — LeBron James will miss at least the Lakers' next game after straining a muscle in his leg during Los Angeles' fourth straight loss on Thursday night.

An MRI exam on James revealed no tears in his adductor muscle, Lakers coach Darvin Ham said Friday.

James is day-to-day with the strain, which occurred during the fourth quarter of the Clippers' 114-101 victory over the Lakers. The second-leading scorer in NBA history injured the muscle near his groin and walked gingerly to the locker room.

The Lakers host Sacramento on Friday before the Brooklyn Nets visit on Sunday. The Lakers have the following four days off, which means James could get eight consecutive days of rest while missing only two games.

James said after the game that the injury wasn't as significant as his groin strain on Christmas 2018 during his first season with the Lakers. That injury sidelined him for a month.

James is the Lakers' leading scorer with 24.9 points per game despite persistent pain in his left foot that forced him to miss Los Angeles' loss to Utah on Monday. James is also contributing 8.8 rebounds and 6.9 assists per game in his 20th NBA season.

Despite James' strong play, the Lakers have the NBA's second-worst record at 2-9.