PHILADELPHIA — After the birth of his second daughter, Lakers star Luka Doncic is expected to be back in the lineup for Sunday’s trip-ending matchup against the Philadelphia 76ers.
Doncic wasn’t with the Lakers for the first two games of their three-game trip – Thursday’s win over the Toronto Raptors and Friday’s loss to the Boston Celtics – with the team listing him as out because of personal reasons.
The Lakers star shared on Instagram on Saturday morning that his fiancée, Anamaria Goltes, gave birth to their second daughter, Olivia.
The couple had their first daughter, Gabriela, in December 2023.
Doncic was removed from the team’s Saturday evening injury report for Sunday’s game.
The 26-year-old Doncic is averaging a league-best 35.3 points per game to go with 8.9 rebounds and 8.9 assists in the 16 games he has played this season.
LeBron James, who sat out Friday’s loss, was listed as questionable for the matchup against the 76ers because of right sciatica and left foot joint arthritis.
James was sidelined for the first 14 games of the season because of sciatica.
He has averaged 14 points (41.3% shooting), 7.8 rebounds and 4.3 assists in the six games he has played (32.8 minutes) since his delayed start to the season.
The four-time league MVP has already been sidelined for 16 contests, meaning he can only miss one more game for the remainder of the season to remain eligible for the league’s end-of-season awards, including All-NBA recognition, because of the 65-game threshold.
Lakers coach JJ Redick said James, who has made a league-record 21 consecutive All-NBA teams, potentially receiving the league honor hasn’t come up in their conversations.
“LeBron and I talk very regularly. Mike [Mancias, James’ longtime athletic trainer and the Lakers’ athletic performance liaison] and I talk regularly. It’s never come up as something that’s important,” Redick said. “The biggest thing as we got closer to training camp was getting him healthy, and then as we started the season, getting healthy enough to play, and then re-acclimating him.
“I want all my guys to get whatever award they deserve. Austin [Reaves], Luka, LeBron, like whoever, I want them to get awards. That’s great for them, but it’s not – the list of things that you have to worry about and think about as a player and coach, it’s so far down the list.”
Veteran guard Marcus Smart will sit out his sixth consecutive game because of a lower back ailment.
The team listed him as out because of left lumbar muscle strain – another change in injury designation after being listed with lower back injury management in the previous three games and back spasms in his first two absences.
Redick has previously said that Smart’s status has been considered day-to-day.
Smart has averaged 9.3 points, 2.9 assists, 2.3 rebounds and a team-best 1.8 steals in the 14 games (nine starts) he’s played.
LAKERS AT 76ERS
When: 4:30 p.m. PT Sunday
Where: Xfinity Mobile Arena, Philadelphia
TV/Radio: Spectrum SportsNet/710 AM