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April 5 (UPI) -- The Los Angeles Lakers will be without superstar forward LeBron James for Tuesday night's possible elimination game against the Phoenix Suns. James was ruled out of Tuesday's matchup against the Suns due to his left ankle sprain, the team announced. It will be James' fourth missed game out of the Lakers' past five.
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The Lakers, who have lost six consecutive games, sit two games behind the San Antonio Spurs for the final spot in the Western Conference Play-In Tournament. Los Angeles can be knocked out of tournament contention with a loss to the Suns and a Spurs road win against the Denver Nuggets.
The Spurs will be without guard Dejounte Murray (non-COVID illness) for Tuesday's game at Denver.
Even if the Lakers win their final four games, the Spurs would have to finish 1-3 over their last four contests for the Lakers to secure the 10th seed.
James has averaged 30.3 points, 8.2 rebounds and 6.2 assists in the 2021-22 campaign. He leads the NBA in scoring this season, slightly ahead of the Milwaukee Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo (30.1) and the Philadelphia 76ers' Joel Embiid (30.0).
The 37-year-old James, however, has played in just 56 games this season. To qualify for the scoring title, a player must play in a minimum of 58 games.
James would have to play in two of the Lakers' last three games after Tuesday -- at Golden State on Thursday, at home against Oklahoma City on Friday and at Denver on Sunday -- to qualify for the scoring title.
It would be the second scoring title of James' career, coming 14 years after his first in the 2007-08 campaign.
