Lakers expect full roster with Doncic, Reaves, Ayton available Friday against Clippers
lakers-set-for-full-health-vs-clippers
EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — For the first time this season, the Los Angeles Lakers plan to take the floor at full strength when they face the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday night at Crypto.com Arena.
Head coach JJ Redick said after Thursday’s practice that Luka Doncic is “probably” set to return from the mild hamstring strain that sidelined him for the four games preceding the All-Star break. The NBA’s leading scorer had logged only five minutes in Sunday’s All-Star Game, adhering to a strict minutes limit.
Austin Reaves, who missed five weeks with a calf injury and was eased back under a minutes restriction before the break, will be cleared for a full workload, according to Redick. The guard ranked ninth in league scoring at 27.8 points per game before getting hurt on Christmas Day.
LeBron James, fresh off becoming the oldest player in league history with a triple-double, is also expected to play. James has missed 18 contests this year.
Center Deandre Ayton is on track to rejoin the lineup after sitting out with a sore right knee. Assuming no late setbacks, Friday would mark only the 11th time in 55 games that James, Doncic and Reaves share the court together.
“We talked in training camp about building continuity with those three, and they’ve managed just 10 games together,” Redick said. “Now the final 28 games will be a sprint.”
The Lakers (33-21) sit fifth in the Western Conference. They have no back-to-back days off between the All-Star break and March 28-29, a stretch Redick hopes to exploit with a healthy roster.
Reaves believes the team is positioned to surge. “We’ve done a good job staying afloat,” he said. “Getting everyone back should help us win a lot of games.”
Source: ESPN
