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Luka Doncic believes Lakers can win ‘championship’ this season
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- Luka Doncic believes Lakers can win ‘championship’ this season
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As NBA All-Star festivities continue at Intuit Dome in Los Angeles , Luka Doncic expressed confidence that the Los Angeles Lakers have the potential to win a championship this season.
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Speaking with Chris Haynes during an NBA TV broadcast on Saturday, Doncic made clear that the team's objective remains unchanged despite injury setbacks and inconsistent availability among its primary contributors.
"Obviously, we're trying to win the championship. I think we can do it. We have the team for it but obviously we had a lot of injuries. Me, Bron, and AR, everybody has been out some time. So now coming back from All-Star, I think everybody's healthy. That'll be a good test for us."
The Lakers enter the All-Star break with a 33-21 record , holding the fifth seed in the Western Conference and positioning themselves firmly in the playoff picture. However, continuity has been difficult to establish. Doncic has missed 11 games this season, including the last four with a left hamstring strain. LeBron James has been sidelined for 18 games due to sciatica, load management and left foot arthritis. Austin Reaves has missed 22 games, 19 of which stemmed from a left calf strain.
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Luka Doncic confident Lakers can compete for championship despite injuries
As a result, Doncic, James and Reaves have appeared together in just 10 games, limiting the team's opportunity to build chemistry during the first half of the season.
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Despite those absences, Los Angeles remains within striking distance near the top of the conference. The Lakers trail the San Antonio Spurs (38-16) by five games for the second seed and sit 1.5 games behind the Denver Nuggets (35-20) for third.
The 26-year-old star is expected to return from his hamstring strain during Sunday night's All-Star Game , a sign that the Lakers anticipate a healthier roster heading into the final stretch of the regular season.
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