The Los Angeles Lakers have struggled mightily without their Slovenian superstar in the lineup, but they might have received the best Christmas present of all on Thursday with some positive news pointing towards his return.
Doncic left the middle of the team’s eventual loss to the Los Angeles Clippers this past weekend with a leg contusion and then missed the following game versus the Phoenix Suns, where he had to watch as his team got blown out.
While he was announced as day-to-day and might miss the Lakers’ annual Christmas game, Los Angeles officially upgraded Doncic’s status from questionable to probable for Thursday’s home game against Houston.
As of Christmas Day, the Lakers are fourth in the Western Conference with a 19-9 record, but have been on a recent skid with their defense being the key culprit.
Doncic and LeBron James have both openly discussed how they’ve spoken with head coach JJ Reddick about tightening their own defenses to help the team.
If Doncic plays, his legs and defense will be put to the test against a strong Houston Rockets team, which is attempting to pass the Lakers in the West standings.
In his first full year with the Lakers, Doncic has continued to be an elite scorer and a frontrunner for the MVP if he can stay healthy, leading the NBA with 34.1 points per game.