Is Luka Doncic playing tonight against the New Orleans Pelicans? Exploring Lakers superstar's status (April 4)

Modified Apr 04, 2025 12:11 GMT

NBA: Golden State Warriors at Los Angeles Lakers - Source: Imagn — Is Luka Doncic playing tonight against the New Orleans Pelicans? Exploring Lakers superstar's status (April 4) (Image Credit: Imagn)

Luka Doncic doesn’t feature on the LA Lakers’ injury report for their game against the New Orleans Pelicans. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, Doncic should suit up for the Lakers on Friday.

Doncic, who dealt with a calf injury earlier in the season that forced him to miss 22 games, has been playing both legs of back-to-backs and should be available on Friday.

Knowing the competitive mentality of the Slovenian superstar, he should be eager to go after a lackluster performance against the Golden State Warriors on Thursday. LA lost 123-116 despite a valiant fightback in the second half. Doncic scored 19 points on 6-of-17 shooting and missed all six of his 3-point attempts.

While the Lakers should have ideally rested stars such as Doncic and LeBron James this close to the postseason, they don’t have the luxury to do so right now. LA is in the fourth spot but is just 1.5 games away from falling into the play-in positions. Thus, the team cannot downplay the importance of any game.

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The Lakers’ only injury concern is Maxi Kleber, who continues to be out after undergoing right foot surgery. There’s good news on that front, as Kleber has begun on-court activities.

How has Luka Doncic fared against New Orleans Pelicans?

Luka Doncic has spent his entire career in the Western Conference, which has given him several opportunities to face the New Orleans Pelicans. He has a 15-7 record in those games, with averages of 28.5 points, 8.2 rebounds and 8.0 assists.

He has faced New Orleans just once after joining the Lakers midseason in 2024-25. He played the Pelicans on March 4 as LA marched to a lopsided 136-115 win. Doncic had 30 points, 15 assists and eight rebounds in the win. He was also a team-leading +37.

How and where to watch New Orleans Pelicans vs. LA Lakers?

The Pelicans vs. Lakers matchup is scheduled to start at 10 p.m. EDT on Friday at Crypto.com Arena. Local coverage of the game will be broadcast on Spectrum SportsNet and GCSEN / WVUE. Fans looking for streaming options can watch it live on NBA League Pass and fuboTV.

About the author

Rajdeep Barman is a U.S. Sports Editor at Sportskeeda and occasionally writes about basketball. He studied journalism at Mizzou, and prior to working at Sportskeeda, he spent 2.5 years at the Columbia Missourian in the U.S.

He worked as an Assistant Sports Editor and helped cover Mizzou Athletics and local high school sports. There, he formed close professional and personal bonds with The Denver Post's Bennett Durando, OKC Thunder beat writer Joel Lorenzi and Alabama beat writer Nick Kelly.

Rajdeep's interest in the NBA stems from his love for the Golden State Warriors and his appreciation of the team's distinctive playing style, heavily influenced by coach Steve Kerr's inspiration from Barcelona's Tiki-Taka. For Rajdeep, basketball is a platform that fosters community and brings people together.

Rajdeep stays in constant touch with some of the best beat writers in the NBA, which helps him learn and stay closer to the news. Being trained in the AP Handbook, he ensures highest levels of relevance, accuracy and ethics in his content.

When not working for Sportskeeda, he likes to travel, take quizzes and spend time with his partner.

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Edited by Krutik Jain