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PHOENIX, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 26: Marcus Smart #36 of the Los Angeles Lakers during the second half of the NBA game at Mortgage Matchup Center on February 26, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Suns defeated the Lakers 113-110. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
The Los Angeles Lakers continue their homestand tomorrow night against the lottery-destined Washington Wizards.
L.A. took care of business last time out, beating the Brooklyn Nets by 17 points at Cryto.com Arena, and improved to 13-2 in the last 15 outings and 48-26 overall.
The Lakers are hoping to roll into the playoffs at full strength and with plenty of steam. The team has secured the third-most wins in the Western Conference since the turn of the calendar and currently grasps the third-seed in the standings.
Los Angeles has a breathable 1.5 game gap over the fourth-seeded Denver Nuggets. Even better, the Lakers own the tiebreaker, putting them in a stronger position to secure homecourt in the postseason.
But nothing matters more to a team than having all its players in uniform for Game 1 of the spring tournament.
L.A. isn’t entirely healthy right now, but there is great optimism it will be before the regular season concludes.
Los Angeles Lakers provide key update on Marcus Smart
The Lakers will already be shorthanded tomorrow night.
Star point guardLuka Doncic picked up his 16th technical foul during Friday’s win over the Nets. His 16th meant he reached the league limit before being tagged with suspension. Doncic will serve his one-game ban Monday.
Fortunately, Los Angeles is facing a Wizards team playing for very little. In fact, Washington is fighting for a better draft pick. The Lakers should absolutely win this game going away even if they’ll lack Doncic’s table-setting and gargantuan scoring.
In addition to Doncic, the Lakers could be without another critical rotational piece.
GuardMarcus Smart has been battling right knee contusion, causing him to miss the last three games. L.A. has gone 2-1 without the former Defensive Player of the Year in the lineup.
Good news is that Smart’s injury no longer appears to be anything more than minor.
After Sunday’s Lakers practice, head coach JJ Redick saidSmart is in “that day-to-day camp” with his injury, according to Broderick Turner of the L.A. Times.
Smart’s presence is absolutely vital for his team
Smart brings plenty of unique things to the table.
For one, he is a battle-tested veteran. He has gone through multiple deep playoff runs and has played in an NBA Finals. He was a key figure of several Boston Celtics teams that made longer postseason runs in recent years.
While he perhaps isn’t the defensive supernova he once was, Smart remains L.A.’s best point-of-attack defender. He has also been shooting the 3-pointer quite well lately, making his role all the more valuable during the Lakers’ hot stretch since mid-February.
Smart is shooting just 33.6% from long-range this season, but since Feb. 15, the 32-year-old has bumped that to almost 36%. He has also tallied multiple games scoring in double digits, none more impressive than his 21-point burst in Los Angeles’ thrilling overtime victory over the Nuggets.
Los Angeles will rely on key minutes from Smart in the playoffs. He is likely to see plenty of opportunities in crunch time.