The Los Angeles Lakers (28-18) have crossed the halfway mark of their eight-game road trip, standing 3-2 in that. However, their last game against the Cleveland Cavaliers ended in an embarrassing 30-point loss (129-99). Good news for the Lakers is that they get the struggling Washington Wizards (12-34) in their next game on Friday night to get over that disappointment. Here is the Status of the injured Lakers ahead of the Wizards game.
What Is Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves’ Status Against the Washington Wizards?
The Lakers have been ravaged by injuries since the season started and have rarely had their full squad healthy at the same time. They have missed a surging Austin Reaves since Christmas Day. Amid that, they had quite a scare during the Cleveland game when Luka Dončić hurt his ankle after falling off the Cavs’ unusual raised court.
Dončić has been listed as ‘questionable’ in the injury report for the Wizards game. The Slovenian guard apparently escaped some serious injury on Wednesday. Cleveland’s home court at the Rocket Arena features a unique 10-inch drop-off between the court and the arena floor. After shooting a fadeaway three with 7:58 left in the first quarter, his left foot slipped as he hopped backwards and fell.
He was seen hobbling to the locker room, barely able to put weight on his leg. Although he returned with 1:32 remaining in the first quarter and finished with 29 points, 6 assists, and 5 rebounds, he revealed that the injury did not feel right.
“I kind of got scared,” Dončić said later. “It wasn’t a great feeling and looking back at the video I think I got a little bit lucky. It hurts obviously more now, but, just, I tried to go.” The six-time All-Star and the Lakers were indeed fortunate, as it was on the same court that Miami Heat guard Dru Smith tore his ACL in 2023.
Losing Dončić is the last thing that the Lakers can afford at this point. He has been delivering for the squad every night, averaging 33.6 points (1st in the league), 7.7 rebounds, and 8.7 assists per game. Fortuantely it was announced shortly before the game that Dončić would be able to play.
Alongside Dončić’s dominance, Reaves has been another gem for the Lakers this season. The Arkansas native was making a case for his first All-Star selection before a left calf strain halted the momentum during the Lakers’ Christmas Day loss against the Houston Rockets. Reaves was having a career year with 26.6 ppg, 5.2 rpg, and 6.3 apg on 50.7% shooting.
Now, after missing a month of action, Reaves has been marked ‘questionable,’ which is surely a welcome development for the Lakers. Head coach JJ Redick had already said that Reaves would be available at some point during the road trip, and this is a positive step towards that.
During his absence, Reaves has missed 17 games, and Los Angeles has gone 9-8 in that stretch. The team is 15-8 in his 23 appearances, outlining his impact on the lineup. His return will take some offensive load off Dončić, who has acknowledged that himself. Meanwhile, rookie Adou Thiero remains out with an MCL sprain, missing his 31st game of the season.
Barring a massive upset, the Lakers should be back in the win column against a Wizards squad that ranks 29th both offensively and defensively. Tip-off at the Capital One Arena is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET.
