By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Luka Doncic has been removed from the injury report of the Los Angeles Lakers, after sitting out two consecutive team outings for personal reasons, specifically the birth of his second child on Saturday.
Wrapping up a three-game road trip on Sunday, the team coached by JJ Redick is visiting the Philadelphia 76ers in Xfinity Mobile Arena, with Doncic expected to return to the lineup.
Earlier this week, the Ljubljana native traveled to his home country of Slovenia to support his fiancée, Anamaria Goltes, and welcome their second daughter, Olivia.
Congratulations Luka Doncic 😍 pic.twitter.com/FRseHZ5m99
— Eurohoops (@Eurohoopsnet) December 6, 2025
Now 4-2 without Doncic, the Lakers are tied with the Denver Nuggets in second place in the NBA’s Western Conference standings. Overall, at 16-6, they are 5.5 games away from the leader Oklahoma City Thunder, and 3.5 games safe inside the top six seeds, leading directly to the Playoffs 2026. Besides the 2025-26 Regular Season, they are set to welcome the San Antonio Spurs in crypto.com Arena on Wednesday, in the Quarterfinals of the Emirates NBA Cup 2025.
The 26-year-old Slovenian combo guard currently leads the league with 35.3 points per contest, alongside 8.9 assists, 8.9 rebounds, 1.6 steals, and 0.6 blocks per contest over 16 appearances.
Facing the possibility of sitting out a second straight contest, 40-year-old LeBron James has been tagged questionable for the meeting with the Sixers due to right sciatica and left foot joint arthritis. Out for a sixth game in a row, 31-year-old Marcus Smart is dealing with left lumbar muscle strain.