Los Angeles Lakers (43-26) will conclude their five-game homestand against the Chicago Bulls (30-40) on Saturday night. The Purple and Gold enter the fixture back on a 29-point blowout loss against the Bucks which snapped their nine-game winning streak at home.
The Lakers are third in the West, behind the Thunder and Rockets. Los Angeles have gone 5-5 in their last ten games due to regular injuries to key starters. The short-handed Lakers are 3-1 in their current homestand and well-ahead in the race for the Play-In Tournament.
On the flip side, the Bulls are coming off a 128-116 win over the Kings. Chicago will take on Los Angeles next week also in the final game of the season series. With a 6-4 record in the last 10 games, the Bulls are sitting ninth in the East.
Luka Doncic, who sat out in the Lakers’ 89-118 loss to the Bucks on Thursday, is listed as probable for the final game of the current homestand. The five-time All-Star guard is likely to feature in the starting lineup on Saturday night.
Doncic scored 31 points in his previous game for the Lakers and has averaged 27.4 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 7.9 assists on 44% shooting in the regular season. The Lakers are 11-5 when Luka Doncic played in the starting lineup.
Apart from Doncic, LeBron James is listed as questionable and will miss his eighth straight game. Rui Hachimura’s status is also upgraded to questionable.
Austin Reaves, Dorian Finney-Smith and Jarred Vanderbilt are also listed as probable. Reaves was not part of the Lakers’ home game against the Bucks. Gabe Vincent’s status is downgraded to questionable. Maxi Kleber remains out due to right foot surgery recovery.
According to the betting props, Luka Doncic, 25, is likely to drop another 30-point performance. The points line is 29.5, which is a bit higher than his in-season average of 27.4 points per game. In his last ten games, the former Mavs guard recorded at least 30 points seven times.
