With the All-Star Weekend hiatus nearing its end on Wednesday night, the Los Angeles Lakers will be the first team back in action as they take on the Charlotte Hornets in the sole game of the night. While LeBron James’ status remains uncertain after missing the All-Star Game, point guard Luka Doncic is set to play in his third game as a Laker. On Tuesday, when the team hit the floor for practice, JJ Redick shared some key updates on Doncic ahead of the matchup.
According to Lakers beat reporter Mike Trudell, Redick revealed that Doncic will remain on a minutes restriction against the Hornets. However, he remains hopeful that there won’t be any restrictions moving forward in the near future as Doncic continues to ramp up his return from a left calf strain that kept him sidelined for over a month.
The Lakers went 1-1 during Doncic’s first two games with the team, both of which came against the Utah Jazz. In those matchups, he played exactly 23 minutes in both matchups. In addition to the updates on Doncic, the Lakers received more positive news on Tuesday. Center Jaxson Hayes has been cleared to play after leaving their game against the Jazz, and both Dorian Finney-Smith and Gabe Vincent are also good to go for the matchup against the Hornets.
With 30 games remaining, every contest is crucial for the Lakers as they look to solidify their playoff standing. Sitting at 32-20, the team currently holds the No. 5 seed in the Western Conference, just half a game behind the No. 4 seed and three games behind the No. 2 seed. As the season progresses, improving their positioning will be vital, especially after spending the past two years working their way out of the play-in tournament.
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