The Los Angeles Lakers pulled out a gutsy, last-second win over the Toronto Raptors on Thursday night. They don’t have long to celebrate the victory though, as they’ll be right back in action on Friday night to face off against the Celtics in Boston.
The Lakers didn’t have the services of star guard Luka Doncic for the win over Toronto, and unfortunately that will be the case again for the team against Boston. Doncic has been officially ruled out of the game for personal reasons.
Luka Doncic won't play vs. Celtics due to personal reasons
In this situation, the personal reasons appear to be of a happy matter, as Doncic is reportedly in Slovenia to welcome the birth of his second child with fiancée Anamaria Goltes.
The Lakers were able to pull out a win without Doncic against Toronto, and they’ll have to try to do the same against Boston. Doing so is obviously easier said than done given how productive Doncic has been for L.A. This season. Doncic is leading the league in scoring at 35.3 points per game and he’s also fourth in assists per performance at 8.9.
To make matters more difficult for the Lakers, star forward LeBron James is listed as “doubtful” for the game in Boston due to sciatica recovery and left foot joint arthritis. Considering that the game in Boston comes on the second night of a back-to-back, it’s unlikely that James will play.
Veteran guard Marcus Smart has also been ruled out of the game for the Lakers due to a left lumbar muscle strain.
The game between the Lakers and Celtics will be the latest in the long-standing rivalry. The Lakers enter the game with a record of 16-5, which is good for second in the standings in the Western Conference. The Celtics are fifth in the East with a record of 13-9, which is pretty impressive considering that they’ve been missing star forward Jayson Tatum all season due to a torn Achilles he suffered in the playoffs last season.
The Lakers and Celtics will also meet again on Feb. 22 in L.A.