The Los Angeles Lakers return home against the Phoenix Suns after an 0-4 road trip during which LeBron James suffered a groin injury and is currently sidelined. On the final game of the road trip, a loss to the Denver Nuggets, the Lakers were without Luka Doncic as well due to both a left calf injury and a right ankle injury. The calf issue is still just continued management from Christmas Day.
But with the Lakers heading into a key matchup against the Suns on Sunday, Luka Doncic is expected to return from injury and be back in the lineup. Doncic was officially listed as probable on the Lakers’ most recent injury report.
In addition to Doncic, both Jaxson Hayes and Dalton Knecht were listed as probable for the Suns game. Hayes would be making his return following a knee injury he suffered back on Mar. 6 during the Lakers’ win against the New York Knicks. He was sidelined for the entire road trip. Knecht took a hard fall going up for a dunk against the Nuggets, but was apparently okay.
But the Lakers could still be short-handed against the Suns as both Dorian Finney-Smith and Gabe Vincent were listed as questionable on the injury report with left ankle injury management. Both players sat out against the Nuggets as well.
LeBron James and Rui Hachimura both remain out for the Suns game.
With as many as four key players out for the Lakers, a lot will fall on Doncic in terms of shouldering a heavy load. The team is looking to snap a four-game losing streak and get back into the win column. After briefly moving into the second seed in the Western Conference standings, the Lakers have slipped to No. 5, and one and a half games behind the No. 4 seeded Memphis Grizzlies.
Since joining the Lakers, Doncic has been averaging 26.1 points, 8.6 rebounds, 7.6 assists and 1.8 steals with splits of 41.2 percent shooting from the field, 34.4 percent shooting from the three-point line and 75.7 percent shooting from the free-throw line.
The post Luka Doncic gets crucial injury update for Suns clash appeared first on ClutchPoints.
