News Lakers Team Notes

[Los Angeles Lakers]

Lakers Highlights: Luka Doncic Shines, Rui Hachimura Comes Up Clutch Against Mavericks

Coming off a tough loss to the L.A. Clippers, the Los Angeles Lakers continued their road trip and found themselves in a primetime matchup against the Dallas Mavericks.

Every Lakers-Mavericks matchup will be appointment viewing, especially back in Dallas, as Luka Doncic’s return remains a sore spot for their fans. Doncic entered the game undefeated against his former squad, but picking up another win would be tough as the Mavericks were riding a four-game winning streak.

For a while, it looked like the Lakers were heading toward another disappointing loss as they fell behind by double digits in the second half. The third quarter has been Los Angeles’ Achilles heel, and the issue reared its head again as the team was outscored 35-14 in the period.

However, the purple and gold launched a fourth-quarter comeback that really grew in momentum after a flurry of clutch baskets. Thanks to some timely defensive stops, the Lakers were able to come all the way back to beat the Mavericks 116-110.

Doncic is used to getting L.A.’s offense started in the first quarter, and that was no different against Dallas as he picked their defense apart over and over. Doncic wasn’t afraid to dish out to open teammates when the Mavericks sent extra help his way, but he also found it relatively easy to get into the painted area.

While Doncic slowed down later in the game, he came up big when it mattered most with timely buckets and assists. Doncic led the Lakers in scoring with 33 points on 8-of-15 shooting from the field and a near-perfect 14-of-15 showing from the free-throw line. He also had 11 assists, eight rebounds, one steal and one block.

Rui Hachimura has taken well to his new role off the bench so far, providing a much-needed scoring punch. Hachimura took advantage of his open looks with an efficient shooting night, though he saved his best for last as he hit a couple of clutch 3-pointers to put Los Angeles up late.

Hachimura’s crunch-time heroics were much-needed, and he ended the night with 17 points and eight rebounds.

Marcus Smart was a massive factor in the win, and his tenacity on both ends of the court sparked the run. Smart finished the night with 13 points, seven rebounds and three assists.

What’s next for the Lakers​

The Lakers will continue their road trip on Monday against the Chicago Bulls before seeing the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday.

Source: https://lakersnation.com/lakers-hig...-hachimura-comes-up-clutch-against-mavericks/

 

[Los Angeles Lakers]

LeBron James Hopes Lakers Are Building Momentum

The Los Angeles Lakers got one of their best wins of the season on Saturday night against the Dallas Mavericks. They significantly tightened their defense in the fourth quarter to complete a 15-point comeback, showing a new level of grit the team has lacked this season. Luka Doncic led the way, but LeBron James, Jake LaRavia, Marcus Smart and Rui Hachimura all had strong showings as well.

The win kept the Lakers at the No. 5 seed in the Western Conference, 0.5 games ahead of the Phoenix Suns at No. 6 and 0.5 games behind the Houston Rockets at No. 4. They have now won three of their last four games, all three wins coming in relatively impressive ways.

They handled the Toronto Raptors — the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference — comfortably. They toughed out a win against the short-handed Denver Nuggets and completed the comeback against Dallas. Earlier this season, getting gritty wins against higher-level opponents was hard to come by for this Lakers team.

Because of that, LeBron is hoping that they can use this recent stretch to gain some momentum for the rest of the season, via Dave McMenamin of ESPN:

“That’s the unknown, but that’s what you hope [for], obviously,” James said when asked if the Lakers are starting to build momentum. “That’s the unknown, but you play the game. We got to now prepare ourselves for Chicago. … So we got to keep this road trip going.”

The Lakers have five games remaining on their current road trip. They face the Chicago Bulls, Cleveland Cavaliers, Washington Wizards, New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets before returning to Los Angeles. That includes three very beatable opponents and two great tests.

What the Lakers do in those five games will significantly determine how much momentum they have for the stretch run of the season and could even determine how much the front office is willing to stick their neck out for a trade.

LeBron James refuses to comment on roster ahead of trade deadline​

James was asked about what changes the team might need to make to reach the next level of contention this season, and he declined to answer, saying it would be disrespectful to the guys on the roster. He instead focused on Austin Reaves being out of the lineup and the team’s lack of consistency with injuries so far this season.

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Source: https://lakersnation.com/lebron-james-hopes-lakers-are-building-momentum/

 

[Los Angeles Lakers]

Lakers News: Luka Doncic Admits Winning Vs. Mavericks Is ‘A Little Different’

The Los Angeles Lakers had a rollercoaster Saturday night as Luka Doncic visited his former home to face the Dallas Mavericks. L.A. led 65-52 at the half, seeming as though they might coast to a victory against the severely short-handed Mavericks.

But Dallas stormed back with a 35-14 third quarter that gave them an eight-point lead going into the fourth. Their biggest lead, though, came in the final seven minutes, when they took a 15-point advantage over the Lakers. From there, Doncic and company tightened up on the defensive end and came all the way back to win 116-110.

Doncic finished with 33 points, eight rebounds and 11 assists, leading the way in an important victory for him and the Lakers. Of course, given his history with the Mavericks, the Lakers star was asked about playing in Dallas after the shocking trade from last season and what it means to get wins there, via Dave McMenamin of ESPN:

“It’s a special place,” Doncic said of Dallas. “I mean, I’m always going to want to win no matter what. Every game I want to win, but obviously this one’s a little bit different.”

There was plenty of Luka support in the crowd among Mavericks fans, and he gave his love to those who braved the winter storm.

“That was really special,” Doncic said. “I didn’t know what to expect before, because I know how this city gets when the weather is bad. I really appreciate a lot of people showing up.”

The Lakers needed that win to keep their place in the Western Conference standings. But games in Dallas do feel bigger than that, like the Lakers need to win to stand behind their new franchise face. They were able to get that, with Doncic leading the way, in one of their grittiest showings of the season.

JJ Redick credits defense of Luka Doncic​

Doncic is quicker and more agile on the court after his offseason body transformation. However, his lack of burst — and sometimes effort — makes him a defensive liability at times. Far too often, Doncic is unable to keep his opponent in front, which then compromises the rest of Los Angeles’ defense.

Head coach JJ Redick came away impressed with how well Doncic held up defensively in the fourth quarter against the Mavericks. Redick credited the superstar for coming up with multiple stops in crunch time to help lead the Lakers to the close comeback victory.

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Source: https://lakersnation.com/lakers-news-luka-doncic-admits-winning-vs-mavericks-is-a-little-different/

 

[Los Angeles Lakers]

Lakers News: Luka Doncic Named Western Conference Player Of The Week

Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Doncic has been named Western Conference Player of the Week for games played Monday, Jan. 19 through Sunday, Jan. 25, the NBA announced. Immanuel Quickley of the Toronto Raptors took home honors in the Eastern Conference.

This honor marks the second as a Laker for Doncic and the 16th weekly award of his career.

During the week, Doncic had three 30-point performances, including one triple-double and two double-doubles. Over the three-game stretch, which included a 2-1 record and road victories over the Denver Nuggets and Dallas Mavericks, the 26-year-old averaged 34.3 points on 49.2% shooting from the field, 10.7 rebounds, 9.7 assists and 2.0 steals in 38.0 minutes.

That began on Jan. 20 with 38 points, 13 rebounds, 10 assists and two steals in 36 minutes in a victory over the Nuggets. It was the 52nd career 30-point triple-double for Doncic, passing Nikola Jokic (51) for second all-time.

It also marked his fourth 30-point triple-double of the season, making Luka just the third player in Lakers history to achieve at least four in a single campaign, joining LeBron James and Magic Johnson. In that same game, surpassed 14,000 career regular season points, becoming the youngest point guard ever to reach the mark and the fifth youngest overall.

Then in a loss to the Clippers, Doncic still had 32 points, 11 rebounds, eight assists and three steals in 39 minutes. And finally, he closed the week with 33 points, eight rebounds, 11 assists, one steal and one block in 39 minutes in a win over his former team, the Dallas Mavericks. Doncic reached another milestone in that game, making the 1,500th 3-pointer of his regular season career, becoming the youngest player in NBA history to do so.

LeBron James believes Luka Doncic is getting comfortable with Lakers​

Now that Doncic is in his second season with the Lakers, LeBron James has noticed him getting more comfortable in his new home.

“The most important thing is just his comfort. Obviously when you get traded mid-season and him spending his first seven or eight years here, it was a shock to everybody. Everybody that was involved, everyone that wasn’t, the whole sports world. But I think the biggest thing this year is just more comfortable, understanding the system, understanding the city, the city embracing him. Him understanding that this is his team, so we’re all rallying around him. We know it’s kind of an emotional, big game when you come back and play your former team. And he showed why he is who he is tonight.”

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Source: https://lakersnation.com/lakers-news-luka-doncic-named-western-conference-player-of-the-week-2/

 

[Los Angeles Lakers]

Recap: Luka Doncic Drops 46 To Lead Lakers Past Bulls

The Los Angeles Lakers had to deal with some tough weather, delaying their flight out of Dallas. They eventually took off on Sunday though and made it to the Windy City for their matchup with the Chicago Bulls on Monday night.

The Lakers’ season-long eight-game road trip has gotten off to a solid 2-1 start and they looked to keep that going in Chicago. They were able to do exactly that, building a big lead and never looking back in a 129-118 victory.

Neither team was playing much defense early but when the Lakers did, it allowed LeBron James to get out into transition for a pair of easy buckets. Luka Doncic then got in on the scoring with 10 quick points, including a pair of triples, after distributing to start the game.

Rui Hachimura, who seems to be getting comfortable in his new bench role, came in and immediately hit three shots to spark a Lakers run, giving them a 35-31 lead at the end of the first quarter.

The Laker run continued into the second quarter with Hachimura and James staying hot to stretch the lead to double digits.

Chicago couldn’t stop turning the ball over as the L.A. defense began to lock in. Jake LaRavia and Marcus Smart took advantage by connecting from deep and the Lakers went into the halftime locker room with a 69-56 lead. After the Lakers went up by as many as 20 though, the Bulls closed the quarter on a 7-0 run.

The Bulls came out red-hot from 3-point range to begin the third quarter as the Lakers’ lead continued to evaporate. Doncic was trying to match them, but Chicago made eight of its first 10 shots.

Hachimura continued to hit open shots though and Doncic led another run for the Lakers to end the third, getting the lead back up to a comfortable 104-89.

Deandre Ayton got beat backdoor for layups twice early in the fourth quarter as the Bulls tried to get back in it. They got their deficit back down to single digits but never really threatened a comeback as Doncic hit a couple of triples to put the game on ice. Jaxson Hayes then had a dunk in transition that he put threw his legs to get the crowd on its feet.

As usual, Doncic filled up the stat sheet in the victory, finishing with 46 points, seven rebounds and 11 assists.

What’s next for the Lakers…​

The Lakers will continue their road trip on Wednesday night when they take on the Cleveland Cavaliers. It remains to be seen if this is James’ last season in the NBA but if it is, that would mark his final game back in Cleveland.

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Source: https://lakersnation.com/recap-luka-doncic-drops-46-to-lead-lakers-past-bulls/

 

[Los Angeles Lakers]

Lakers Injury Report: Austin Reaves Remains Out Vs. Cavaliers

The Los Angeles Lakers released their injury report for Wednesday’s game against the Cleveland Cavaliers and Austin Reaves (left calf strain) continues to be listed as out.

Reaves has steadily been improving in his rehab from the calf injury he suffered in December, with head coach JJ Redick recently saying he was progressing toward stay-ready games. Redick also confirmed that Reaves would be available at some point during the Lakers’ eight-game road trip, but it appears that will have to wait at least one more game.

Los Angeles was in dire straits for a stretch with Reaves out as the offense was largely dependent on Luka Doncic and LeBron James, but the team managed to right itself this past week with wins over the Dallas Mavericks and Chicago Bulls. However, Reaves’ potential return on this trip means the Lakers would be back to full strength offensively, which could also aid in their defensive woes. Poor shots and turnovers from non-playmakers have plagued L.A. in recent weeks, but Reaves can solve those problems once he’s back up to full speed.

Given the nature of Reaves’ injury, it makes sense for the organization to be cautious with his return. Calf injuries are heavily susceptible to re-aggravation and Reaves has already dealt with them twice during the 2025-26 season, so there’s no reason to push him. Also, the All-Star break is in a couple of weeks so it might be wise to ramp up his minutes when the regular season resumes.

When Reaves returns, it’ll allow James to go back to being more off the ball. James has thrived as a screener and cutter next to Doncic and Reaves and it’s arguably the best long-term offensive lineup for L.A.

LeBron also gets to enjoy a return home to Cleveland, where he’s always warmly greeted. In what could be James’ final season playing, he’ll surely get a large ovation from the Cavaliers faithful that enjoyed watching him win the franchise’s first title in 2016.

Rui Hachimura excited for Austin Reaves to return​

Rui Hachimura returned from his own calf injury earlier this month and has been excelling as an offensive weapon off the bench. The Lakers sorely missed Hachimura’s shotmaking ability, but the forward also expressed how excited he is to have Reaves returning to the lineup.

With Reaves eventually back, Hachimura should be able to capitalize on even more wide-open looks because of how much attention the Lakers’ three stars demand.

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Source: https://lakersnation.com/lakers-injury-report-austin-reaves-remains-out-vs-cavaliers/

 

[Los Angeles Lakers]

Lakers’ Luka Doncic Launches Fan Engagement Company 77X & Fan Pass

Los Angeles Lakers superstar Luka Doncic announced the launch of 77X, a company he built to create original entertainment, collectibles, merchandise, and live experiences for his fans. With this launch comes Fan Pass, a free membership platform available now at 77x.world.

Doncic becomes the first athlete to bring together all realms of fandom — from content and products to events and community — into one single platform managed directly by the athlete to the fans. He announced 77X via his personal social media account on Tuesday morning:

This season on 77X

Join now at https://t.co/0QZOWr3G3j pic.twitter.com/QmFrQQ99rC

— Luka Doncic (@lukadoncic) January 27, 2026

“77X is Luka taking ownership of his brand and building directly with his fans,” said Lara Beth Seager, Chief Business and Brand Officer for Luka Doncic, CEO of 77X, and CEO of the Luka Dončić Foundation. “It’s an ecosystem built around his career, passions, and creativity, with Fan Pass giving the community early access, exclusive content, and a voice in everything he does. We believe this is how the next generation of athlete brands will be built.”

Luka’s goal with this company appears to be creating a new model of fan-to-athlete connection, making the fan feel as close as they have ever felt to their favorite player. The key elements of 77X includes worlds, entertainment, drops, access, live events and collaboration.

“Every so often, someone changes the game in both culture and commerce. Luka Doncic is one of them, and 77x is one of those moments,” said Harley Finkelstein, President of Shopify. “It’s a new blueprint for fandom and the athlete-to-entrepreneur journey, and it could only be powered by Shopify. From storefronts inside fan universes to checkouts embedded in live experiences, Shopify is built for this scale of ambition. We’re building the future of commerce, Luka’s building the future of fandom – and 77x brings them together.”

“My fans mean everything to me,” said Doncic. “They’ve supported me at every step. With 77X and Fan Pass, I want to bring them in closer and give them a chance to create and build this with me. Not just watch it happen, but to be a part of it.”

JJ Redick allowing Luka Doncic’s creativity on court​

Doncic’s mastery of the offensive end of the game is well-known. Arguably his only flaw is that his risk-taking can lead to high turnover rates. However, head coach JJ Redick believes that’s a necessary price to pay.

He is not planning to limit Doncic’s creativity on offense, knowing that it is what unlocks the best from the Lakers superstar.

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Source: https://lakersnation.com/lakers-luka-doncic-launches-fan-engagement-company-77x-fan-pass/

 

[Los Angeles Lakers]

Lakers Rumors: Cavaliers Would ‘Gladly’ Welcome LeBron James Return This Summer

This season is LeBron James’ eighth with the Los Angeles Lakers, the most consecutive years he has played with any franchise. But following this season, he will be an unrestricted free agent and it is unclear if he will return to the Lakers, retire, or possibly sign with another team.

Should he want to continue his NBA career to a record 24th season, and doesn’t remain to the Lakers, a return to his hometown Cleveland Cavaliers is something that could be in the cards. Of course, LeBron has played 11 seasons across two separate stints with the Cavaliers and brought the franchise its lone NBA Championship in 2016.

And apparently the Cavaliers would be open to a third stint with its greatest player in franchise history as Dave McMenamin of ESPN reports that they would gladly welcome James back should he want to return in free agency this summer:

Multiple team and league sources told ESPN the Cavaliers would gladly welcome James back this summer if he wanted to return to Cleveland for his 24th NBA season and third stint with the team.

Obviously there are a lot of factors that would play into this potential move. First and foremost, LeBron has to decide whether he wants to continue playing after this season, though he clearly still has plenty left in the tank as he is averaging 22.4 points, 6.0 rebounds and 6.7 assists this year for the Lakers. But questions have arisen recently about his relationship with Lakers Governor Jeanie Buss and some could see a split on the horizon.

If James does want to continue playing, and it’s not with the Lakers, the Cavaliers do make some sense as they have been looking to get over the hump as a championship contender, but have been a disappointment this season after winning 64 games last year. Perhaps LeBron could be that piece to take the Cavaliers to the next level.

James’ stint with the Lakers can’t be classified as anything other than successful as he brought this team out of the worst stretch in franchise history and won a championship in 2020. And maybe the Ohio-born legend would like to end his career where it started, in Cleveland, and the Cavs would seemingly love that as well.

LeBron James hopes Lakers are building momentum​

James isn’t thinking about the future, but rather is focused on leading this current Lakers team and the superstar hopes they are building momentum after some strong wins to kick off this road trip.

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Source: https://lakersnation.com/lakers-rum...adly-welcome-lebron-james-return-this-summer/

 

[Los Angeles Lakers]

Recap: Lakers Blown Out By Cavaliers In LeBron James Homecoming

The Los Angeles Lakers looked to keep things rolling on Wednesday night when they traveled to take on the Cleveland Cavaliers.

LeBron James returning to Cleveland is always special, and this could potentially have been his last game there as a visiting player. With that being the case, there was extra intrigue added to the game but ultimately, the Lakers forgot to show up for the third quarter and were blown out, 129-99, as a result.

It wasn’t a great start for the Lakers as they were missing some easy looks with the Cavaliers scoring the first seven points. Deandre Ayton got the Lakers on the board with a putback, and then James and Luka Doncic both had great passes in transition to spark a 12-0 run to take the lead.

Unfortunately, Doncic rolled his ankle after taking a shot and appeared to be in some serious pain, going back to the locker room to get it looked at before eventually being cleared to return.

Meanwhile, the Cavaliers got back on track with an 8-0 run as it was a game of runs early. Gabe Vincent came off the bench for Doncic and made an immediate impact with two triples. The Lakers then locked in defensively and led 28-24 at the end of the first quarter.

Vincent stayed hot to begin the second with another 3-pointer and then Doncic hit one as well to extend the lead to double digits for the first time. That was short-lived, however, as Cleveland responded with yet another run to keep things close.

The Lakers were uncharacteristically missing a lot of free throws as Doncic, in particular, missed four in a row. That allowed the Cavaliers to take a slim 57-55 lead into the locker room after a strong close to the half.

After a quiet first half, Donovan Mitchell started to heat up to begin the third quarter to build a double-digit lead for the Cavs.

The Lakers look disinterested in the third quarter as they continued to give up offensive rebounds and committed costly turnovers, allowing Cleveland to get hot. Nothing went right for L.A. in one of their worst quarters of the season and they faced a 96-77 deficit going into the fourth.

Early in the fourth quarter, it was James’ turn to roll his ankle, although he was able to stay in the game. The game quickly got out of reach, however, as JJ Redick emptied the Lakers bench, resulting in a disappointing loss.

What’s next for the Lakers…​

The Lakers’ eight-game road trip finishes with matchups against the Washington Wizards, New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets.

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Source: https://lakersnation.com/recap-lakers-blown-out-by-cavaliers-in-lebron-james-homecoming/

 

[Los Angeles Lakers]

Lakers Injury Report: Austin Reaves & Luka Doncic Questionable Vs. Wizards

The Los Angeles Lakers released their injury report for Friday’s game against the Washington Wizards and Austin Reaves (left calf strain) has been upgraded to questionable, while Luka Doncic (left ankle soreness) is also questionable.

Doncic hurt his ankle in the loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers but was able to finish out the game, albeit in some clear pain.

Reaves has been out since Christmas Day with the calf injury, and it’s the second he has dealt with this season alone so the organization has been extremely cautious with his return. There was some hope that he would have been able to suit up in Wednesday night’s game against the Cavaliers, but he wound up being ruled out of that one.

Now, the Lakers have three games left on their road trip, starting with Friday night in Washington. While it would be great to get Reaves back for that one, it’s probably a game the Lakers can win without him if they want to give the guard a couple of extra days before Sunday’s big matchup with the New York Knicks.

In recent weeks, Reaves’ rehab has steadily progress and all indications have been that he is doing well and has had no setbacks. That is great to hear, but it also makes sense to continue remaining cautious with the greater picture in mind.

In Reaves’ absence, others like Marcus Smart and Jake LaRavia have stepped up while Doncic and LeBron James have led the way. It will take some time to get Reaves re-integrated in that once he returns, but the Lakers were playing their best basketball earlier in the season when he was healthy and playing at an All-Star level, so that shouldn’t be an issue.

Rui Hachimura excited for Austin Reaves to return​

Rui Hachimura returned from his own calf injury earlier this month and has been serving as an offensive weapon off the bench. The Lakers sorely missed Hachimura’s shotmaking ability, but the forward also expressed how excited he is to have Reaves returning to the lineup.

With Reaves eventually back, Hachimura should be able to capitalize on even more wide-open looks because of how much attention the Lakers’ three stars demand.

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Source: https://lakersnation.com/lakers-injury-report-austin-reaves-luka-doncic-questionable-vs-wizards/