Lakers resting James on Friday in Detroit
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James will not play in Friday night's game at Detroit.
The team called it a "load management" decision related to the groin injury that caused him to miss 17 consecutive games in December and January.
The announcement was not unexpected, with the club looking to reduce James' workload down the stretch and with the Lakers coming off a 111-98 loss Thursday night in Toronto.
James, 34, has played in 16 of the Lakers' 17 games since his return, including each of the last 15. This is his first day off since Feb. 2.
The 15-time All-Star has played in 50 games in his first season with Los Angeles, averaging 27.4 points, 8.6 rebounds, 8.0 assists and 35.3 minutes per game.
Los Angeles is in 11th place in the Western Conference entering Friday, 7.5 games behind the eighth-place Los Angeles Clippers with 14 games remaining.
--Field Level Media
