James and the Los Angeles Lakers play the Cavaliers tonight, on the back of an emphatic victory against the Miami Heat.
The Lakers blitzed through the Heat 113-97 on Sunday night, as James played the fourth quarter in order to continue scoring in an already-won game.
James missed the fourth quarter against the Orlando Magic on Saturday night, as he rested his body for Sunday’s game with the Heat.
And with the Lakers playing again on Friday night against the Utah Jazz, it is possible that James could do the same again tonight.
Fox Sports NBA pundit Shannon Sharpe explained why James doesn’t have to play the whole game and could be call it quits at half-time.
“LeBron James is playing phenomenal,” he said.
“So I don’t think he has to do anything outside of that tonight.
“He’s playing the fewest amount of minutes in his NBA career, and he has the fourth highest scoring average.
“If he finished the season like this, he hasn’t scored this many points since the first time he left Cleveland.
“They’re so bad, so he might be done at the half.
“He might [shut it down at the half].
“What happened last time he was in Miami and he came back? They made him mad. He had 38 in the game and didn’t play the fourth quarter.
“How bad must you be that JR Smith is playing terrible and he doesn’t want to play for a terrible team?”
Smith left the Cavaliers on Tuesday, just hours after he gave a bombshell interview claiming that the Cavs were tanking on purpose to improve their odds in the draft lottery.