The Lakers rotate Doncic and Reaves as they crush their opponents

Los Angeles Lakers remain unstoppable at the start of the 2026-27 season. The Los Angeles franchise secured a new victory, this time against the Atlanta Hawks by 124-114, in a game also marked by the return of Luka Doncic after his absence against the Detroit Pistons.

The team led by JJ Redick thus achieved their sixth consecutive win, improving their record to 10 wins and 2 losses. This is a particularly positive trend considering that the Lakers also had to do without two important players from their rotation: Austin Reaves and Quentin Grimes.

Doncic had missed the previous game due to lower back discomfort, a circumstance that allowed Reaves to take on a greater offensive role. The shooting guard responded in the best possible way, scoring 43 points, his best performance of the season, in the victory of 121-116 against the Pistons.

However, the return of the Slovenian player brought the Lakers back to their usual configuration. Doncic finished the game against Atlanta with 32 points, though he fell short of the extraordinary figures he had achieved in his four previous games, in which he had surpassed 40 points each time.

Luka Doncic maintains a historic scoring pace with the Lakers

Doncic's importance in the Los Angeles project is reflected in his statistics. The Slovenian point guard currently leads the NBA with an average of 40.1 points per game, an extraordinary figure that explains a large part of the Lakers' excellent start to the season.

His return was particularly significant after the back discomfort that had prevented him from playing in the game against Detroit. Despite that absence, Los Angeles managed to maintain their good momentum thanks to Reaves' exhibition, who took on the offensive responsibility with 43 points.

The situation became complicated again before the game against Atlanta, as Reaves also could not play due to illness. In addition to his absence, Quentin Grimes was out, having sustained a sprain on a finger of his right hand.

JJ Redick relies on Cameron Carr in light of the absences

The two absences forced JJ Redick to adjust his rotation plans. The Lakers' coach planned to give minutes from the start to Cameron Carr, the rookie selected by the Los Angeles franchise in the first round of the last Draft.

Thus, the young player received an opportunity to gain prominence on a team that is going through one of its best competitive moments.

Meanwhile, the Lakers continue to rack up victories and demonstrate that they can maintain their performance even when not all their players are available. With Doncic back available and Reaves on the mend, Los Angeles now has a record of 10-2 and six consecutive wins.