The Los Angeles Lakers will look to resume their season with a win following the All-Star weekend. The Purple and Gold will host their crosstown rivals, the Los Angeles Clippers, at the Crypto.com Arena on Friday, February 20. It will be fascinating to see how the likes of LeBron James and Luka Doncic will fare against the Clippers, led by Kawhi Leonard.

The Lakers are currently fifth in the Western Conference with a 33-21 record and have won their last game before heading into the All-Star Weekend, when they defeated the Dallas Mavericks. Meanwhile, the Clippers are ninth in the standings with a 27-28 record. They are a team on the upward curve, winning four of their last six games. However, with James Harden and Ivica Zubac’s departure, they are not the same force anymore.

Are LeBron James and Luka Doncic playing tonight? The latest injury report on the Lakers

The All-Star Weekend has really helped players to recalibrate and get back to prime fitness; therefore, head coach JJ Redick should be able to field a full-strength team against the Clippers. Starting with LeBron James, the veteran forward was looking all set to suit up for this game, but a recent update from Lakers insider David McMenamin brings unfortunate news about the 41-year-old. He has been downgraded to questionable for this game due to left-knee soreness.

He recently became the oldest player to record a triple-double in the NBA, and now, after the All-Star break, he will look to build on that momentum. While there’s no certainty whether he will continue for another season, let alone with the Lakers, LeBron has still been a crucial member of this roster. He is averaging 22.0 points, 7.1 assists, and 5.8 rebounds per game while shooting 50.2% from the field.

Similarly, his partner in crime, Luka Doncic, who missed the last four games for the Lakers due to a hamstring issue, is back to full strength. He played a small role for Team World in the All-Star Game, but more importantly, he is cleared for this game against the Clippers. He is the NBA scoring leader, racking up 32.8 points per game this season across 42 contests.

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Moreover, young guard Austin Reaves also will no longer be on a minutes restriction, and for a change, the Lakers have no players on the injury list before the big clash. So this is a momentous occasion for the team as they have been suffering from some injury troubles throughout the season. Three of the Lakers’ best players will play their 11th game together in 55 games this season.

Are Kawhi Leonard and John Collins playing tonight? The latest injury report on the Clippers

Kawhi Leonard has been the main man for the Clippers this season. He showed that brilliance in the All-Star Game when he dropped a 31-point performance in a 12-minute game against Team World. The former MVP drained 11 out of his 13 attempts on his home floor at the Intuit Dome. He has been doing the same for the Clippers as well, averaging 27.8 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game while shooting 49% from the field. He could be the thorn in the flesh for JJ Redick’s men.

Similarly, John Collins is another player who has been exceptionally reliable for the Clippers. He is fit and raring to face the Lakers in the upcoming game. The forward dropped an important double-double in their last win over the Denver Nuggets. He recorded 11 points, 12 rebounds, and four assists, but most of the limelight went to Bennedict Mathurin’s 38-point performance from the bench.

Other than two, the Clippers have most of their roster available for this blockbuster game. New signing Darius Garland, who moved from Cleveland to LA in the James Harden trade, is out with a toe injury and is on a week-to-week basis. Also, All-Star guard Bradley Beal remains the long-term absentee as he suffered a season-ending hip injury.

LeBron James and Luka Doncic stats vs Clippers: A look at their past performances

LeBron James has a pretty solid stat line against the Clippers, just like many other teams in the NBA. The 41-year-old has faced them 52 times in his career until now, averaging 25.3 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 6.8 assists per game. The veteran has a 30-22 record against the Clippers, which once again favors the Lakers.

Similarly, Luka Doncic’s statistics against the crosstown rivals are also enviable. The Slovenian guard has averaged 31.9 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 7.4 assists per game across 23 contests against the Clippers. However, his record against them has not been great, with 10 wins and 13 losses.

Clippers vs Lakers preview and what to expect

The Lakers started the season as legitimate contenders before losing their way in the middle of the season. Since then, they have been extremely inconsistent. However, one can blame the results on injuries as the Purple and Gold have only had 10 games of service from their top three players, which highlights how much they have suffered this season. JJ Redick hopes that they can realize their early-season form, as now LeBron, Luka, and Austin are all available.

On the other hand, the Clippers have gone through a transformation with Harden traded to Cleveland and Garland making the move to LA. They have also let go of Zubac, who was an important member of this Clippers team. But Mathurin has had a fantastic start with the Clippers as he dropped a 38-point performance against the Nuggets off the bench in the previous game. He will look to continue that momentum against the arch rivals. However, they may still miss Garland, who is out injured.

Overall, this is the fourth and final regular-season encounter between the two LA teams. The Lakers won the season opener only to lose the next two to the Clippers.

Clippers vs Lakers predicted starting lineup

Based on the injury reports, here’s how both teams could lineup for this blockbuster Western Conference clash.

While Mathurin was simply the star of the last win for the Clippers, we expect him to continue making an impact from the bench once again. Kawhi Leonard will continue to be the main man for them, along with role players such as Collins and Brook Lopez. However, the Lakers have a significantly better lineup with Luka Doncic back in action and Austin Reaves ready to start. They will also hope to have LeBron James feature in this game to steady the ship. So the Lakers are definite favorites heading into the much-awaited game in the Western Conference.