All articles tagged with #lakers
With key teammates out, LeBron James delivered a dominant stretch—26 points, seven rebounds and 11 assists—to power the Lakers to back-to-back wins and climb toward a top seed, giving Los Angeles a real puncher’s chance in the postseason.
With three days left in the regular season, the West is largely settled with OKC at No. 1 and San Antonio in strong playoff position behind Victor Wembanyama, while the Lakers’ playoff chances depend on the return of injured stars. In the East, Detroit has clinched the No. 1 seed and Boston, New York, and Cleveland have clinched playoff berths, with several teams still jockeying for the final play-in spots and shaping the remaining playoff picture.
An opinion column argues that with multiple stars injured and the Lakers effectively out of playoff contention, the team should shut down the remainder of the season to protect players’ health and refocus on rebuilding for the next era, rather than chase a doomed playoff run.
LeBron James posted 21 points, 10 rebounds, and 12 assists as the Lakers defeated the Wizards, with Austin Reaves handling lead-guard duties for much of the night and scoring 19 points with 9 assists; Bronny James logged 26 minutes of development time, while Jaxson Hayes went 8-for-8 for 19 points off the bench, and the piece grades most players, praising the Lakers’ depth and coaching rotations heading into the playoffs.
Luka Doncic will miss Monday’s game against the Wizards after receiving his 16th technical foul, a one-game suspension the piece argues is the best possible timing for the Lakers as Washington’s tanking posture and poor current form give LA a favorable chance to win. The Lakers still push for a top-three seed with tougher tests ahead (Cavaliers, Thunder, Mavericks), and Austin Reaves and LeBron James are expected to carry more of the load in Doncic’s absence. The league won’t rescind the technical, and Doncic should return soon, but this break could help LA fine-tune for a stretch run that could define their playoff positioning.
Caitlin Clark attended the Pacers–Lakers game in Indianapolis as a credentialed photographer, continuing her offseason pivot to photography while remaining with the Indiana Fever for the upcoming WNBA season. The Lakers beat the Pacers 137–130 behind Luka Dončić’s 43 points, with LeBron James adding 23.
Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark served as a photographer for the Indiana Pacers, taking pregame photos during the Pacers' matchup with the Los Angeles Lakers in Indianapolis.
The Lakers, missing several regulars, dominated the Pacers for most of the game with LeBron James delivering 23 points, 9 rebounds and 9 assists. JaVale Hayes added a 21-point, 10-rebound double-double and Austin Reaves scored 25 as Los Angeles weathered a fourth-quarter lull. The piece also notes Luka Dončić’s 43-point night for Dallas in the same report.
A 113-110 loss to Detroit ended the Lakers’ nine-game win streak but reinforced their emergence as a legitimate playoff threat, showing resilience through fatigue and injuries, sticking to their plan, and still controlling their fate for a top seed in the West.
The Lakers fought back from an early deficit but fell to the Pistons, with Luka Dončić scoring 32 and LeBron James nearly posting a triple-double while Austin Reaves added 24 points. Deandre Ayton posted a double-double and Jackson Hayes provided strong defense; the outing showcased the Lakers’ resilience and growth, but the loss snapped a streak and underscored the need to monitor heavy minutes for their stars entering the postseason.
The Lakers’ 113–110 loss to Detroit came after a nine-game stretch that boosted their offense, defense, and net rating, leaving L.A. poised for a deep postseason run. LeBron James is playing a more restrained, playmaking role while Deandre Ayton anchors the defense and other role players like Reaves, Hachimura, and Kennard help stretch the floor. Although Luka Dončić’s scoring feats for Dallas loom in the MVP conversation context, the Lakers’ blend of star power and stifling defense has them entering the playoffs believing they can navigate a Western Conference gauntlet that could include Houston in the first round and potential battles with Wembanyama and Holmgren in later rounds.
Lakers update: Rui Hachimura is dealing with right calf soreness and Marcus Smart with right ankle soreness (plus a hip injury); both are described as short-term, and a return could come soon with a favorable schedule, potentially by the road-trip finale in Indiana.
Lakers star Luka Doncic earned his 16th technical foul of the season after a heated exchange with Orlando’s Goga Bitadze, which could trigger a one-game suspension unless the league rescinds it; Bitadze disputes Doncic’s account and says the two were taunting each other, with officials citing mutual taunting during the sequence that decided the 105-104 win.
Luke Kennard hit a last-second 3 to lift the Los Angeles Lakers to a 105-104 win over the Orlando Magic, extending their winning streak to nine games as LeBron James became the NBA's all-time leader in games played. Kennard, the Lakers’ midseason acquisition, had been in a recent slump but was assured by coach JJ Redick and buried the decisive shot from a baseline out-of-bounds play as teammates mobbed him at the final buzzer.
Luka Dončić is set to miss the Lakers’ road game vs Detroit after earning his 16th technical foul of the season in Saturday’s win at Orlando; LA has appealed to rescind the foul, arguing officials should have warned earlier. Dončić, who remains one of the NBA's top players with about 33.4 points, 8.4 assists and 7.9 rebounds per game, helped LA extend a nine-game win streak. If the 16th T stands, he would begin a suspension pattern of one game per two techs for the rest of the season, though the Lakers still have 11 regular-season games remaining.