As the Lakers look to turn around their season before it's too late, a recent break of no action could get LeBron James back to action sooner rather than later.
On Wednesday, Nov. 9, James suffered a groin injury in the Lakers' loss to the Clippers, sidelining him for each of his team's next two games — a Nov. 11 loss to the Kings and a Nov. 13 victory over the Nets. After defeating Brooklyn, LA had a four-day break until its next game — a Nov. 18 meeting with Detroit, which is on the second night of a back-to-back.
Thanks to the break in the schedule, James had an extended break to rehab without missing much game action, resulting in a status upgrade ahead of Friday night's game.
In addition to James' improvement, the Lakers are set to welcome Thomas Bryant and Dennis Schroder back to the lineup as both are set to make their season debuts against the Pistons.
Will James be healthy enough to return on Friday? Here is everything you need to know about James' status for Lakers vs. Pistons, including TV and streaming options for the game.
Is LeBron James playing vs. the Pistons tonight?
James was initially listed as questionable on the injury report for Friday's meeting with the Pistons, but the Lakers ruled him out before tipoff.
LeBron James (adductor strain) is out tonight for the Lakers.
— Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) November 19, 2022
Starters:
Patrick Beverley
Austin Reaves
Troy Brown Jr.
Lonnie Walker IV
Anthony Davis
Through 10 games this season, James is averaging 24.9 points, 8.8 rebounds and 6.9 assists while shooting 45.7 percent from the field.
What channel is the Lakers vs. Pistons on?
- Date: Friday, Nov. 18
- TV channel: Spectrum SportsNet (Lakers) | Bally Sports Detroit (Pistons)
- Live stream: NBA League Pass
Lakers vs. Pistons will not air nationally but will air on Spectrum SportsNet in the Lakers' region and Bally Sports Detroit in the Pistons' region.
Fans can tune into Lakers vs. Pistons with a subscription to NBA League Pass. Monthly NBA League Pass subscriptions begin at $14.99 monthly while an annual subscription to NBA League Pass begins at $99.99.
Lakers vs Pistons start time
- Date: Friday, Nov. 18
- Time: 10:30 p.m. ET | 7:30 p.m. PT
Lakers vs. Pistons will tip off around 10:30 p.m. ET on Friday, Nov. 18. The game will be played at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.
Lakers schedule 2022-23
Here are Los Angeles' next five games of the 2022-23 regular season:
| Date | Opponent | Time (ET) | TV channel |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nov. 18 | vs. Pistons | 10:30 p.m. | — |
| Nov. 20 | vs. Spurs | 9:30 p.m. | — |
| Nov. 22 | at Suns | 10 p.m. | TNT |
| Nov. 25 | at Spurs | 8 p.m. | — |
| Nov. 26 | at Spurs | 8 p.m. | — |
