One week after playing in his second game with the Los Angeles Lakers, superstar Luka Dončić is expected to take the court once again in a Lakers uniform when his team hosts the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday night. The difference this time? Dončić is expected to be back to full speed.
Since Dončić was traded from the Dallas Mavericks to the Lakers in a blockbuster deal on Feb. 2, the Slovenian star has been limited due to a nagging calf injury he suffered on Christmas Day. Dončić played in his first contest on Feb. 10, but still hasn’t operated at full speed. He played in the last two Lakers’ games — a home win and road loss in a home-and-home series with the Utah Jazz — but had been on a minutes restriction due to the injury.
In the Lakers’ return from All-Star break, where Dončić was afforded extra rest by not participating in All-Star Weekend festivities, coach JJ Redick said Dončić probably won’t have a minutes restriction this week, according to the Associated Press. Redick’s announcement comes after the five-time All-Star put together a strong outing in limited minutes.
Dončić started both games against Utah, but played just more than 23 minutes in both contests. He scored 14 points, grabbed five rebounds and dished out four assists in the Lakers’ 132-113 home win and finished with 16 points, four rebounds and four assists in Los Angeles’ 131-119 road loss.
The Lakers are ramping up Dončić at an opportune time. Los Angeles is seeking a season sweep against Charlotte after defeating the Hornets on the road Jan. 27. Charlotte currently sits 14th in the Eastern Conference standings and are losers of three straight games while the Lakers are fifth in the West and are looking to stay in the top six in order to avoid the NBA Play-In Tournament.
Required reading
(Photo: Alex Goodlett / Getty Images)
