After being sent home earlier Thursday from his team's shoot around with an illness, the Miami Heat have announced via Twitter that F LeBron James will play tonight as they face the Los Angeles Lakers. James was sent home with what Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra described as flu-like symptoms, and was listed as a game-time decision prior to the recent announcement.
It has already been announced that the Heat will play without star G Dwyane Wade, who continues to nurse an ankle injury that kept him out of the Heat's most recent game, a win versus the Spurs. Sharpshooter James Jones is expected to start in his place.
The Heat were not looking forward to the prospect of hosting the Lakers with two of their three best players on the bench, and the news that James will play means PF Chris Bosh won't have to carry the offensive load by himself.
LeBron James has a career 9-2 record against the Lakers, and is currently second in the league in scoring at 29.8 points per game, just behind Kobe Bryant (30.8 ppg).