Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Dončić returns after skipping their 131-126 loss to the Denver Nuggets on Friday, March 14, on the second night of a back-to-back schedule to manage his previous calf injury.
Dončić, who is also nursing a right ankle sprain, is probable to play in their Sunday’s home game against the Phoenix Suns, per the official NBA injury report.
The last time Dončić played was in Milwaukee on Thursday, March 13, as his season-high-tying 45 points were not enough to stop the Lakers’ bleeding. The Bucks handed them a 126-106 loss. Dončić added 11 rebounds, three assists, two steals and a block in the disheartening loss.
The Lakers are 8-5 with Dončić in the lineup. His return gives the Lakers a scoring punch against the Suns, who will play with their Big Three of Devin Booker, Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal, along with center Nick Richards. The Suns’ starting center is also probable to play after missing the last two games with a right ankle sprain.
Dončić will have his lob partner, Jaxson Hayes, back after missing the Lakers’ last four games with a right knee contusion. Hayes is also listed as probable to play.
Dorian Finney-Smith (ankle) and Gabe Vincent (knee) who also missed the game in Denver are questionable to play against the Suns while LeBron James (left groin strain), Rui Hachimura (left patellar tendinopathy) remain out.
Luka Reacts to Lakers’ Daunting Schedule
Sunday’s game against the Suns is the start of a five-game homestand for the Lakers, which features two back-to-back schedules following their back-to-back losses to the Bucks and Nuggets to conclude their winless road trip.
After the Suns, the Lakers face the San Antonio Spurs on Monday, March 17 on the second night of a back-to-back slate. They will only have a one-day break before they will have their third back-to-back games in one week in a rematch against the Nuggets on March 19 and the Bucks on March 20.
“I don’t think I’ve ever went through something like that,” Dončić said of the Lakers’ tough schedule after their loss in Milwaukee. “But at the end of the day, we’re getting paid to do that and there shouldn’t be any excuses that you’re tired. You live for this. Just gotta have great recovery after every game and just keep going.”
‘We Gotta Keep Going’ Amid Injuries
It’s not a guarantee Dončić will be available in all their back-to-back games because of injury management.
“The mindset is we gotta keep going,” Dončić continued. It’s always tough… But the winning teams always go through something and we’re kind of experiencing that now. But we just gotta learn from it and go into the next game with the mentality that we could win this game and we want to win this game.”
The shorthanded Lakers minus Dončić and James and four more rotation players had that mindset in Denver as the Austin Reaves-led reserves nearly pulled off a massive upset before losing their three-point lead in the final 51 seconds to a healthy Nuggets team.
“I’m proud of the group for their level of fight and resiliency, particularly not getting off to a great start there in the second half,” Lakers coach JJ Redick told reporters after the loss. “Our transition defense was pretty bad from the first six minutes on. And then fighting back and taking a lead. There’s a lot we could’ve done better but the group competed tonight and gave ourselves a chance to win… Just very, very proud of their fight and the way they started the game and the resiliency they showed to get back in the game.”
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