That left the Lakers with two rotation-worthy traditional big men entering Wednesday: Jaxson Hayes and Alex Len, the latter of whom was signed on the buyout market the day before. Hayes left the game Wednesday with a facial contusion after playing seven minutes. Len posted four points on 2-of-5 shooting with seven rebounds in 23 minutes.

Luka Dončić made his Lakers debut in front of an electric home crowd, delivering a solid performance as L.A. extended its winning streak to six games.

Before his injury, Doncic was putting up All-Star numbers, averaging 28.1 points, 8.3 rebounds and 7.8 assists per game. However, his extended absence caused him to not be voted to the 2024-25 All-Star Game, finishing just outside the threshold to earn an invitation.