The Los Angeles Lakers have announced that Rui Hachimura will not play in Friday’s game against the L.A. Clippers due to a left knee strain he sustained during Thursday night’s victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves.
While the win over the Timberwolves was significant, it came with some setbacks as Hachimura was injured, and several other players were banged up toward the end. With a quick turnaround for Friday’s game against the Clippers, the Lakers listed Luka Doncic (left calf injury management), Jaxson Hayes (left hip contusion), and LeBron James (left foot injury management) as questionable.
The good news is that all of these players are expected to play, which is a positive development for a Lakers team aiming for its fifth consecutive win. The Lakers and Clippers have each won one game in their season series, both played at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood. The series will now conclude with two games at Crypto.com Arena on Friday and Sunday nights.
In the absence of Hachimura, it is expected that Dorian Finney-Smith will move into the starting lineup and take on a larger role for the Lakers. Other players like Dalton Knecht, Jarred Vanderbilt, Jordan Goodwin, and Gabe Vincent are likely to see more playing time off the bench and will need to contribute to the scoring effort in Hachimura’s absence.
As it’s the second night of a back-to-back, the Lakers are likely to be fatigued. However, the team has been performing at a high level recently and will look to continue that momentum against a Clippers squad trying to improve its standing in the Western Conference.
Doncic has faced challenges offensively since joining the team but has historically performed well against the Clippers, so there’s hope that he’ll have a breakout game on Friday in front of the home crowd. Regardless of his performance, it’s encouraging to see him healthy and playing in a back-to-back for the first time since returning from injury.
Los Angeles Lakers (36-21) vs. Los Angeles Clippers (32-26)
Friday, February 28, 2025, 7:00 p.m. PT
Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, California
TV: ESPN, Spectrum SportsNet
Radio: 710 AM ESPN LA
Projected Lakers Starting Lineup:
PG: Luka Doncic
SG: Austin Reaves
SF: Dorian Finney-Smith
PF: LeBron James
C: Jaxson Hayes
Key Reserves: Gabe Vincent, Jarred Vanderbilt, Dalton Knecht, Alex Len, Cam Reddish
Projected Clippers Starting Lineup:
PG: James Harden
SG: Kris Dunn
SF: Kawhi Leonard
PF: Derrick Jones Jr.
C: Ivica Zubac
Key Reserves: Amir Coffey, Nic Batum, Ben Simmons, Bogdan Bogdanovic
