The Lakers are getting a timely boost as they head into a fiery rematch with the Warriors.
Luka Doncic is no longer listed on the injury report for Friday’s trip to Chase Center, giving Los Angeles a big name back as it opens the second game of the 2026-27 NBA season against Stephen Curry and Golden State. Ziaire Williams is listed as questionable, while Adou Thiero and Cameron Carr remain out.
That update comes after the Lakers already managed to steady themselves with a bounce-back win over the Clippers on Wednesday, despite ruling out four players for that game in the second half of a back-to-back.
For now, the young absences remain a part of the picture. Thiero and Carr are still working through their injuries, and the Lakers will once again have to do without them.
Still, Doncic’s return changes the feel of the night immediately. Los Angeles is aiming to move to 5-1, and another win over a division rival would fit neatly into that start.
The opener between these teams already had some bite to it. Doncic and Yaxel Lendeborg got tangled up on the court, and the rookie followed it up with pointed comments in his postgame press conference.
So the stage is set for another tense one. If the first meeting was any indication, this matchup should bring plenty of physical play and no shortage of words between two teams that are not about to make things easy on each other.
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Kessler has averaged 8.2 rebounds a game this season, a career low per 36 minutes, but Redick said he sees the ability there for him to be better in that department. For the Lakers, the concern is obvious: against a Clippers team looking for any edge, second-chance chances and missed box-outs can turn into the kind of game-deciding pressure that exposes a thin margin for error. [Read more 🡒]