Sports · Basketball · 6 hrs ago
Doncic returns for Lakers as Reaves and Grimes miss Hawks game
Luka Doncic is returning to the Los Angeles Lakers lineup for Monday's game against the Atlanta Hawks after missing a game with lower back tightness.
Austin Reaves and Quentin Grimes will miss the game, with Reaves ill and Grimes dealing with a sprained finger on his right hand.
Reaves scored a season-high 43 points in Sunday's win over Detroit while Doncic was out.
Doncic has averaged 40.1 points per game, the league's highest mark, and scored at least 40 in four straight games.
His 361 points through nine games rank third in NBA history for that point in a season.
The Lakers have won five straight games, while Atlanta has won four in a row.
Coach JJ Redick said rookie Cameron Carr will get early minutes with Reaves and Grimes unavailable.
Luka Doncic will return to the Los Angeles Lakers lineup against the Atlanta Hawks on Monday.
Austin Reaves is out with an illness, and Quentin Grimes is out with a sprained right finger.
Reaves scored a season-high 43 points in the Lakers’ 121-116 win over the Detroit Pistons on Sunday, when Doncic was sidelined with lower back tightness.
Doncic has scored 361 points through nine games, the third-most in NBA history at that point, and leads the league with 40.1 points per game.
The Lakers entered Monday on a five-game winning streak, while the Hawks had won four straight.
- Who
- The Los Angeles Lakers, Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves and Quentin Grimes.
- What
- Doncic is returning to the lineup against the Hawks, while Reaves and Grimes are out.
- When
- Monday, November 9, 2026.
- Where
- Atlanta.
- Why
- Reaves is out with an illness, and Grimes has a sprained right finger; Doncic had been sidelined by lower back tightness.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
The Lakers beat the Detroit Pistons 121-116 as Reaves scored a season-high 43 points and Doncic sat out with lower back tightness.
The Lakers announced Doncic would return against the Hawks, while Reaves and Grimes would be out.
- Doncic points
- 361 through nine games
- Doncic scoring average
- 40.1 points per game
- Reaves Sunday points
- Season-high 43
- Lakers-Pistons score
- 121-116
- Lakers winning streak
- Five games entering Monday
- Hawks winning streak
- Four games entering Monday
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What people are saying
with Reaves and Grimes sidelined, he planned to give early rotation minutes to rookie Cameron Carr, L.A.'s first-round pick.