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Lakers forward LeBron James expects to deal with left ankle discomfort for the rest of the season.

The injury that pushed him out of the All-Star Game on Sunday but, at 40 and in his 22nd season, he plans to play in regular-season games.

Listed as questionable ahead of the Lakers’ 100-97 loss to the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday night, James played 38 minutes. He scored 26 points on 10-for-22 shooting, pulled down seven rebounds and had 11 assists.

“It’s gonna be something that we gotta manage for the rest of the season and going into the postseason,” James said after the game. “But I was happy I was able to get some days off … and make sure I was available for tonight.”

Lakers coach JJ Redick reiterated that the team has had to deal with the issue for months. James has played in 49 of 53 games for Los Angeles.

“It’s something that we’ve managed all year, and it was sore over the weekend,” Redick said after practice on Wednesday. “He was able to do most of practice today. But like it’s been all year – like, it’s a day-to-day thing – that’s just something we’ve had to manage.”

The Lakers play at Portland Thursday night in the second game of a back-to-back.

–Field Level Media