By Tania Ganguli

Los Angeles Times

LOS ANGELES —Lakers superstar LeBron James will be day to day with a groin strain sustained during the third quarter of Tuesday’s game against the Golden State Warriors, sources familiar with the examination said Wednesday.

On Wednesday morning, James had an MRI exam that offered no surprises, the sources said. An initial examination on Tuesday night revealed that his muscles were intact and the strain seemed minor.

“Dodged a bullet! Sheesh!” James said Wednesday on Twitter. He added the hashtag: #backinnotime.

Still, groin injuries can linger if the are not given the proper time to heal, so the rarely injured 14-time All-Star is likely to miss at least Thursday’s game against the Sacramento Kings. As of Wednesday morning, no official word had been given on his status for that game and it was unclear whether he would travel to Sacramento.

Even without James for a quarter and a half, the Lakers beat the defending NBA champions, 127-101, on Christmas. The team then traveled back to Los Angeles so players and coaches could spend time with their families before returning north for tonight’s game.