The Los Angeles Lakers have shared an update on the injury status of Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves ahead of their game against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
According to The Athletic’s Jovan Buha, Doncic and Reaves are both available to play on Friday at the Crypto.com Arena. Both players are not listed with LeBron James, Adou Thiero and Maxi Kleber, who are all out versus Minnesota.
James is still dealing with sciatica and has a recovery timeline of mid-November. Thiero is coming off left knee surgery, while Kleber has an abdominal muscle strain. Kleber suffered the injury on the first day of training camp, leaving the Lakers with a depleted frontcourt to start the season.
Doncic suffered a right groin injury late in the Lakers’ season opener loss to the Golden State Warriors. Reaves left that game unscathed, but he tweaked his ankle in practice the following day.
Doncic and Reaves Participated in Practice
The Los Angeles Lakers had another practice on Thursday in preparation for their game against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Coach JJ Redick told reporters that Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves were participants, but the Oklahoma product had her own workout to test his ankle.
While Redick confirmed that both players are going to suit up, he initially thought Reaves would sit the next two games. However, the Lakers guard doesn’t like missing games, so he’s expected to get a full clearance from the medical team before tipoff.
“Luka was a full participant. Austin was a modified participant. He kind of tweaked his ankle. Yesterday was no live so he was able to do everything. Today, he did everything but live. It’s not really like a thing where I can say he’s gonna be out a couple games or he’s gonna play tomorrow. It literally will be how he feels tomorrow. I know Austin, I’m gonna expect him to play,” Redick, via Lakers Nation.
Doncic was nearly unstoppable in the Lakers’ first game of the season, finishing with 43 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists. Reaves also had a great performance, putting up 26 points, five rebounds and nine assists. However, they couldn’t contain the Golden State Warriors and lost the game, 119-109, barely getting help from the rest of the roster.
Anthony Edwards Wants to Surpass Doncic, SGA
The Minnesota Timberwolves have made the Western Conference Finals in back-to-back years. However, they were no match against Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks in 2024 and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder last season.
Anthony Edwards wants to surpass and get the better of both players if the Timberwolves want to make their first NBA Finals appearance.
“We ain’t going to get to the finals without going through Luka or Shai. I just gotta keep getting better. That’s the main thing,” Edwards told Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic.
Edwards, Doncic and SGA are three of the best young players in the NBA. All of them are just entering their prime and will be the next torchbearers and faces of the league, especially with LeBron James, Steph Curry and Kevin Durant in the late stages of their legendary careers.
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