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Dave McMenaminMar 20, 2025, 01:26 PM ET
- Lakers and NBA reporter for ESPN.
- Covered the Lakers and NBA for ESPNLosAngeles.com from 2009-14, the Cavaliers from 2014-18 for ESPN.com and the NBA for NBA.com from 2005-09.
LOS ANGELES — Lakers star Luka Doncic will not play Thursday against the Milwaukee Bucks as he continues to manage a sprained right ankle, sources told ESPN.
The Bucks game is the second night of a back-to-back for L.A., after the Lakers beat the Denver Nuggets 120-108 on Wednesday. Doncic played on the ankle, pouring in 31 points, 8 rebounds and 7 assists in 32 minutes.
Thursday also marks the end of a taxing stretch of the schedule during which L.A. will have played six games in eight days — the only team in the NBA this season to play that many games in so few days due to a makeup game against the San Antonio Spurs that was postponed from January because of the L.A. wildfires.
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The Lakers have gone 3-2 through the first five games. Doncic sat out one other game during the stretch — L.A.’s 131-126 loss to Denver last week — because of a right ankle sprain and left calf injury management.
The Lakers are No. 3 in the Western Conference with 14 games remaining.
LeBron James (left groin strain) and Rui Hachimura (left knee tendinopathy) are both out against the Bucks too.
When asked what the Lakers’ goals should be between now and the playoffs, other than playoff seeding, Jarred Vanderbilt pointed to the roster getting whole.
“Getting healthy,” Vanderbilt said. “S—, that would be No. 1. Getting healthy. Getting rest with this stretch. And try to get some reps together. The main thing is getting healthy so we can try to keep building our chemistry.”
