Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James is hopeful that he will be able to make his return to action in Friday's encounter with the Boston Celtics.
The four-time NBA champion has been absent for the past eight games with an abdominal strain and has also had to battle back from an ankle problem this season.
The Lakers went down 109-102 to defending champions the Milwaukee Bucks without James on Thursday, but the 36-year-old is eyeing a return to the team on Friday.
When asked by ESPN in midweek if he would be ready to make his comeback against the Celtics, James responded: "I hope, I hope."
However, the report adds that sources close to James are giving him a 50% chance of being available, while coach Frank Vogel also adopted a cautious approach, claiming that the four-time MVP is still "day-to-day".
Friday's battle with the Celtics is the second of the Lakers' five road games in a row, where they will endeavour to reverse their fortunes after suffering three defeats from their last four.
Ben Knapton
