An X-ray on Friday revealed that LeBron James suffered a broken nose when Oklahoma City Thunder forward Serge Ibaka hit him in the face on a drive to the basket Thursday night.
James is being listed as a game-time decision for the Miami Heat's home game Sunday against the Chicago Bulls (3:30 p.m. ET, ABC). James is expecting to play, a source told ESPN. The team will wait for swelling to go down before deciding on treatment or if James will need a mask.
He suffered the injury in the fourth quarter when Ibaka hit him on a drive to the basket. James scored on the play, the last of his 33 points in the Heat's 103-81 victory, but no foul was called. After bleeding on the floor and staying down for several minutes, James went to the locker room and did not return to the game. He did not speak to reporters in the locker room after the Heat's win.
The Heat took Friday off after wrapping up a six-game road trip. They went 5-1 on the trip, with all the victories coming over teams currently in playoff position in the Western Conference. The run pulled Miami to within 1½ games of the Indiana Pacers for the top spot in the Eastern Conference.
The Heat's schedule now turns favorable, as 17 of their final 29 games are at home. They begin a four-game homestand Sunday.
