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LeBron ready for 2nd half of season: 'It's go time'

Andrew D. Bernstein / National Basketball Association / Getty

LeBron James has made a habit of saving his energy for the stretch run and playoffs across his 18-year NBA career. This season is no different with the Los Angeles Lakers about to embark on the second half of the campaign.

"It's go time," James said Thursday, according to ESPN's Dave McMenamin. "It's time to get prepared and making that turnaround, that last lap going into the postseason ... I'm not into looking ahead saying, 'OK, let's take this off, take that off.'

"Nah, it's go time for me."

The Lakers are 24-13 and third in the Western Conference going into Friday's second half opener against the Indiana Pacers.

"I kind of use the first half of the season as being in gear one, two, and three, and then in the second half being in more like four, five, six, and then when the playoffs start you're in seven," James said.

"And that's kind of the way I've always kind of adjusted over the last few years of my career, really just ramping up more, more, and more as the months go on as the games go on going into the playoffs."

The stretch run won't come without challenges, though. The Lakers are still without Anthony Davis due to a calf strain. Davis won't play against the Pacers after missing the last nine games before the All-Star break. However, head coach Frank Vogel said he will be re-evaluated Friday.

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