The Los Angeles Lakers host the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday on the second night of a back-to-back. The Lakers took down the Washington Wizards 120-101 on Monday despite missing Luka Doncic and Marcus Smart. Doncic got suspended for the clash after picking up his 16th technical foul on Friday against the Brooklyn Nets.
Meanwhile, Smart missed his fourth consecutive game due to an ankle injury. Doncic will return for Tuesday’s showdown, but concerns around Smart remain. JJ Redick issued the latest update on the former Defensive Player of the Year after Monday’s win over the Wizards, suggesting he was “day-to-day.”
“We want him to feel 100% [before returning],” Redick said.
Marcus Smart’s potential absence could be significant against a physical team like the Cavaliers, with two excellent point-of-attack options in Donovan Mitchell and James Harden at their disposal. Jake LaRavia has been solid the past few games, but the Lakers haven’t faced MVP-caliber perimeter players since Smart’s injury.
Nevertheless, Luka Doncic’s return is a massive boost for Los Angeles. He will be coming off a three-day rest and will have fresher legs to compete against Donovan Mitchell, who is also playing on the second night of a back-to-back.
Doncic has been on a tear in March, averaging 37.2 points, 8.2 rebounds, 7.1 assists and 2.3 steals on 49.7% field goal shooting, including 38.7% from 3-point range on 12.7 attempts.
The Lakers will likely have all other players available who played on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Adou Thiero (knee) will remain out, but that shouldn’t impact Los Angeles much given his sporadic role.
How to watch Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Los Angeles Lakers game?
The Cavaliers-Lakers game is locally televised. FanDuel Sports Network Ohio will cover the game in Cleveland, while Spectrum SportsNet will be the home broadcast. NBA League Pass will stream the game online globally.
