Roughly 90 minutes prior to Friday’s tip-off, Cleveland first-year head coach David Blatt was uncertain whether LeBron James will be able to play against the Pelicans. James was working out on the court, trying to see if he’d be OK to participate after sitting out Thursday’s game in Oklahoma City.
“He’s on the court now, testing it, seeing how he feels,” Blatt said. “We’ll take it up to game time, to see what he’s able to do and if he’s able to play.”
James had played in each of Cleveland’s first 20 games before being sidelined against the Thunder.
“For him to be pain-free and feel confident in playing,” Blatt said of what it will require for James to be in uniform tonight vs. the Pelicans. “That’s it.”