LeBron James suits up Friday despite illness

The Cleveland Cavaliers will have MVP-candidate LeBron James in the lineup when they take on the Indiana Pacers on Friday. 

James has a head cold and was listed as questionable during the Cavaliers' morning shootaround, but will suit up anyway, reports Chris Haynes of Cleveland.com. The Pacers lead the season series 2-1.

It goes without saying that James is crucial to the Cavaliers' success. Cleveland is 44-26 this season, good for second in the East, but are 2-9 without James in the lineup.

James is averaging 25.8 points, 7.8 assists, 5.7 rebounds and 1.5 steals, with the Cavs performing nearly 17 points better for each 100 possessions when he's on the court as opposed to on the bench.