The closing stretch of the regular season is crucial for LeBron James and the LA Lakers, especially as they will be without Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves at a critical point with the playoffs approaching.
The first harsh reality of that situation came on Sunday night when the Lakers took on the Cooper Flagg-led Dallas Mavericks. Los Angeles fell short, 134-128, as Flagg exploded for a massive stat line of 45 points, nine assists and eight rebounds.
Despite the defeat, James found a positive takeaway from the shorthanded Lakers’ effort.
“In order for us to play to the capabilities that we wanna play at. it’s gonna be on the defensive end, but offensively, we were really good tonight,” he said (per Lakers Daily).
James finished with 30 points, 15 assists and nine rebounds in nearly 39 minutes of play. Jaxson Hayes contributed 23 points off the bench, while Luke Kennard posted a 15-point, 16-rebound, 11-assist triple-double.
After the game, James commended Kennard, who recorded his first career triple-double and a career-high in rebounds.
“He did an excellent job,” James said. “Thirteen defensive rebounds, … and then just feeding the ball, getting guys in their proper spots.”
With Lakers’ High Postseason Dreams, Luka Doncic Seeks Specialized Treatment in Europe
According to ESPN, Luka Doncic will travel to Europe to undergo “specialized” treatment for his left hamstring strain in hopes of speeding up his return, with the regular season set to end in about a week.
“After consultation with Lakers doctors and his own medical team, Luka Doncic will seek specialized medical treatment in Europe on his Grade 2 left hamstring in an attempt to expedite his return to play,” ESPN’s Shams Charania reported, citing Doncic’s agent, Bill Duffy.
The Lakers face a difficult finish to their regular season. They will take on the OKC Thunder — the same team against which Doncic and Reaves sustained injuries and suffered a 44-point loss — before heading on the road to face the Golden State Warriors, likely with Steph Curry back in action, in their final away game.
The Lakers will close out the regular season at home, hosting the Phoenix Suns on April 10 and the Utah Jazz on April 12.
Their position in the standings remains uncertain, though they are still likely to secure home-court advantage in the first round.
