The Lakers’ winning streak is rolling into Friday night, but the injury report added a wrinkle before their NBA Cup meeting with the Portland Trail Blazers.
Los Angeles, which has won three straight, listed Mamukelashvili with an illness ahead of the matchup at Crypto.com Arena. He is questionable for the game against Damian Lillard’s squad.
The Lakers also made a couple of roster moves on Thursday. Rookie Cameron Carr and third-year guard Bronny James were sent down to the Coachella Valley Lakers for the G League season opener.
There was better news on the injury front, too. Second-year forward Adou Thiero is finally off the injury report and cleared to play after missing the start of the season because of knee swelling. Whether he actually sees the floor against Portland is still uncertain, but he gives head coach JJ Redick another option off the bench.
Even with the new injury concern, the biggest reason Los Angeles has opened the season so well has been Luka Doncic. The superstar guard has been on a tear, averaging a league-leading 38.5 points per game along with 8.1 rebounds, 8.0 assists and 1.8 steals while shooting 49.5% from the field and 43.1% from three.
Doncic has been piling up 40-point nights with ease, and he’s pushing to keep the Lakers winning while making his case for his first NBA MVP award. Friday gives him another chance to stay hot and help Los Angeles avenge its first loss of the season.
Portland, though, won’t be walking in cold. The Blazers have been off to a strong start as well, with just one loss so far this season.
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The rotation picture gets a little more complicated from there, with one Lakers big man still in question and another important frontcourt piece on track to suit up after a recent hand scare. For a team trying to keep its footing in the standings, the final call on the front line could shape not just the matchup with Portland, but the broader race at the top of the West. [Read more 🡒]
Lakers Are Reshaping The Offense To Make Life Easier For Luka
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It is the kind of structural tweak that can matter over the course of a season, especially for a player who draws so much attention the moment he crosses half court. Redick said the approach was already in place before the season, which suggests this is not a quick fix so much as a deliberate attempt to improve the offense by making possessions easier to start and more efficient to finish. [Read more 🡒]
Walker Kessler Had The Perfect Reaction To A Huge Lakers Breakthrough
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So when the conversation turned to where he stands among the NBAs shot blockers, Kesslers response carried the kind of casual confidence Lakers fans tend to appreciate. He already knows Victor Wembanyama is ahead of him, but the bigger question is who else has managed to separate himself in that race, and Kesslers reaction made clear he is paying attention to the company he is keeping. [Read more 🡒]