Lakers – Mavericks: Redick says the Lakers must extend the season
The lakers – mavericks matchup arrives with Los Angeles facing a sharp new reality after injuries to Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves. On Saturday, JJ Redick said the Lakers must keep the season alive long enough for both players to have a chance to return. The immediate focus now turns to Sunday’s game in Dallas and how the Lakers absorb the loss of their two leading scorers.
Redick frames the moment as a test of endurance
Redick’s message was blunt and practical after practice on Saturday in advance of the lakers – mavericks game. “Both those guys are going to try to come back. So it’s our job to extend the season so that they can come back, ” he said, referring to Dončić and Reaves.
That statement came after the Lakers learned Reaves’ regular season was over because of a grade 2 soft tissue strain in his left oblique. Dončić’s regular season ended Friday with a grade 2 left hamstring strain suffered in the third quarter of Thursday’s loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder. The timing is severe: Dončić and Reaves are the Lakers’ two leading scorers this season, and Dončić also leads the entire NBA in scoring.
The lakers – mavericks game is now part of a larger survival test. Redick said the team’s mission has not changed, even with the injuries stacking up. The Lakers still want the three seed, and they still want to win a first-round series.
LeBron James and the next-man-up group
Without Dončić, Reaves, and still missing Marcus Smart because of a right ankle injury that has kept him out for two weeks, Redick said the Lakers will have to reshape how they play. He pointed to 41-year-old LeBron James, midseason trade acquisition Luke Kennard, former starting forward Rui Hachimura, and starting center Deandre Ayton as players the team will lean on.
“There’s enough that we have in that we can play through LeBron, play through Luke, play through Rui, play through D. A.,” Redick said. He added that the approach will be different from a strategic and tactical standpoint, but not defeated in purpose. In his view, the lakers – mavericks stretch is about adapting quickly enough to stay in the chase.
Sunday in Dallas will be only the second time James plays without Dončić or Reaves all season. The first came in January, when the Lakers lost 132-116 on the road to the Portland Trail Blazers.
Why this matters now
The recent run of injuries comes right after the Lakers completed their first 15-win month since March 2000. That made Thursday’s loss to the Thunder and the follow-up injury news feel even heavier, because the team had been building momentum before the setback.
Redick said he does not want an overreaction, but he also acknowledged the stakes. The lakers – mavericks game will show whether Los Angeles can steady itself long enough to keep its season goals within reach, even as the roster thins around James and the remaining rotation.
