Lakers' Luka Doncic, LeBron James Upgraded to Available vs. Heat

The Los Angeles Lakers are coming off consecutive wins against Kevin Durant and the Houston Rockets and have one of the best win streaks in the NBA, winning seven straight games heading into Thursday’s game on the road against the Miami Heat.

Even though the Lakers are red-hot right now, the team is dealing with some injuries to its best players, with Luka Doncic, LeBron James and Austin Reaves all listed as questionable earlier in the day.

Luka Doncic & LeBron James Cleared to Play vs. Heat

Fortunately for Los Angeles, both superstars LeBron James and Luka Doncic have been cleared to play against the Miami Heat on Thursday night.

LeBron James and Luka Doncic have been upgraded to AVAILABLE, while Austin Reaves remains QUESTIONABLE: pic.twitter.com/wKPfOPgSLd
— Ryan Ward (@RyanWardLA) March 19, 2026

However, Austin Reaves remains questionable due to a right foreman contusion. The Lakers should be able to endure if Reaves is ultimately ruled out, but it obviously concern for the team heading into this matchup with hopes of winning an eighth straight game.

Lakers Recall Maxi Kleber from South Bay

Feb 7, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward Maxi Kleber (14) passes the ball to forward LeBron James (23) against the Golden State Warriors during the second half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Even though Maxi Kleber has officially been ruled out of Thursday’s game against the Heat, he was assigned to the South Bay Lakers to participate in practice with the G League squad.

The Los Angeles Lakers have recalled forward/center Maxi Kleber from the South Bay Lakers following today’s practice.
— Ryan Ward (@RyanWardLA) March 19, 2026

After going through practice with South Bay, Kleber was promptly recalled by the parent club, which is a good sign of his progress in working his way back from a lumbar strain.

Only 12 Games Remain for Lakers After Heat

Following the matchup against Bam Adebayo and company in Miami on Thursday, the Lakers will only have 12 regular-season games left on their scedule before the NBA playoffs get underway on April 18, which means every game from here on out will be incredibly important when it comes to seeding in the Western Conference.

The Lakers are currently in third place in the West behind the San Antonio Spurs and defending NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder. The Minnesota Timberwolves are just under the Lakers in fourth place, sitting a game and a half back from Los Angeles.

With the race for seeding in the West being so tight moving forward, it's not all that surprising that James and Doncic would be cleared be on the floor against Miami, considering how important these matchups will be in the final stretch of the 2025-26 campaign.

It'll be interesting to see whether or not Reaves gets cleared, as his presence on the floor will be missed if he's ultimately ruled out.

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