The Los Angeles Lakers have split the first two of their three-game East Coast road trip and have done some despite being without superstar Luka Doncic.
Doncic has been away from the team due to personal reasons and without him, the Lakers beat the Toronto Raptors on a buzzer-beater before losing to the Boston Celtics in the second night of a back-to-back. While being without Luka and other key players is less than ideal, the Lakers did a nice job splitting those two games against quality opponents to avoid a winless road trip.
It originally was unclear why Doncic was away from the team, although various reports indicated that he had returned to his native Slovenia for the birth of his second child with fiancée Anamaria Goltes.
That ended up being true as Doncic took to Instagram on Saturday morning to announce the birth of his second daughter, Olivia:
It’s great to see that there were no complications as Doncic and Goltes welcomed their second daughter to the earth.
Once everything gets settled in Slovenia, Doncic will return to the Lakers and get back on the court where he has dominated all season. The Lakers next play on Sunday night against the Philadelphia 76ers to close out their three-game road trip and head coach JJ Redick indicated that he was hopeful Luka would be back for that game. Redick was also hopeful that LeBron James, who missed the Boston game, will play as well.
If Doncic is unable to return by then though then he would rejoin the team in Los Angeles ahead of their Emirates NBA Cup quarterfinal matchup with the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday night.
Austin Reaves planning to visit Luka Doncic in Slovenia this summer
Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves have built a close relationship in their short time together on the Lakers even though they enjoy teasing each other. In fact, Reaves recently revealed that he is planning to visit Doncic in Slovenia this summer and even invited him to come to Arkansas as well.
“I told him last summer I was coming and he didn’t tell me no, but he didn’t tell me yes,” Reaves said. “But I’m gonna be there next summer. I don’t know if he’s gonna welcome me, but I’m coming for sure… My door (in Arkansas) is always wide open for him and his family anytime they want to come.”
Have you subscribed to our YouTube channel? It’s the best way to watch player interviews, exclusive coverage from events, participate in live shows, and more!
