When the Lakers labeled LeBron James as a true gametime decision with ankle soreness that had sidelined him for the prior two contests, it was not an exaggeration. It was only after going through a few tests behind closed doors at 5:45 p.m. on Friday with athletic performance coach Mike Mancias — less than two hours before tip-off — that James got a simple nod from his longtime trainer, a tilt of the head that indicated he was cleared to play.
26 points, 8 assists, one win and a few hours later, James told the media that his ankle was still feeling pretty good afterwards.