LeBron James: LA Lakers coach JJ Redick unsure of return after defeat by Minnesota Timberwolves

Los Angeles Lakers coach JJ Redick says he does not know when LeBron James will return after he missed a second consecutive game.

James, the NBA’s all-time leading scorer and a four-time NBA champion, sat out Sunday’s win over the Portland Trail Blazers because of a sore foot and missed practice this week for what Redick said were “personal reasons”.

Asked before Friday’s 97-87 defeat at the Minnesota Timberwolves if he knew when 39-year-old James would be back with the team, Redick said: “No.”

The loss at Target Centre was the Lakers’ eighth defeat in 11 games, while the Timberwolves claimed a fifth win in six games thanks to 23 points from Anthony Edwards and 21 from Julius Randle.

Anthony Davis finished with 23 points and 11 rebounds for the Lakers, who host the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday (02:30 GMT, Monday).

Joel Embiid suffered a sinus fracture in the Philadelphia 76ers’ 121-107 home defeat by the Indiana Pacers.

The 2022-23 Most Valuable Player was playing only his sixth game of the season after missing the start of the campaign with a knee injury and serving a ban for an altercation with a reporter in the locker room.

He was struck accidentally near his cheekbone as the Pacers’ Bennedict Mathurin leapt for a rebound in the second quarter at Wells Fargo Center.

Embiid received treatment on the court and did not return.