The Los Angeles Lakers and the Dallas Mavericks will be just one of three matchups on Thursday night.
The NBA is closing out the week before heading into the All-Star break. For the Lakers, they are heading into All-Star weekend as a top-six team in the Western Conference, but they know they have plenty of work to do to stay in the postseason picture.
Fortunately for them, they are staring down a Mavericks team that has a loaded injury report for Thursday's action, and it's headlined by the star first-rounder, Cooper Flagg.
Lakers vs Mavericks Injury Report
The Mavs won't miss everybody listed, but there are a few questionable candidates that might not get the nod to go against LA before the break.
On Wednesday night, the NBA learned that the No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg is dealing with a midfoot sprain. Flagg will be out on Thursday, in addition to missing the league's Rising Stars game this weekend.
The Mavs haven't gone as far as putting a timeline on Flagg's setback. The likely scenario is that he'll get re-evaluated next week when teams begin ramping up to resume the action. The rookie star will be a name to keep an eye on as the season reaches the final stages. He's currently the Rookie of the Year favorite, but absences piling up could cause his status to take a hit.
While it's not a perfect scenario for the Lakers, it's something much more positive than the other night against the San Antonio Spurs. Some key names will return to the court, including LeBron James, Austin Reaves, and Marcus Smart.
Barring any unexpected setbacks, they will take the court again on Thursday night, while potentially getting Deandre Ayton back in the fold.
The biggest question mark remaining is Luka Doncic. The star guard will miss his fourth game in a row on Thursday. Ahead of Tuesday's action, the head coach, JJ Redick, claimed that Doncic was progressing well and was still considered day-to-day. The fact that the Lakers don't feel the need to rule him out for an extended period is a positive sign.
Doncic will get a lengthy break without missing any games. If he's still out when the Lakers make their return from break, that's when it's time to worry.
The Lakers and the Mavs are slated for a 10 PM ET tip on Thursday.
2026 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.