Luka Dončić Reportedly Sets Lakers Return Date After Birth of Second Child

The Los Angeles guard briefly stepped away from the team.

Luka Dončić has been his usual excellent self for the Lakers this season. / Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

With his family having grown by one, Lakers guard Luka Dončić is reportedly back in action.

Dončić will play for Los Angeles Sunday against the 76ers after rejoining the team in Pennsylvania, according to a Saturday afternoon report from Dan Woike of The Athletic. The 26-year-old traveled to Slovenia for the birth of his second child, which he announced early Saturday morning on Instagram.

In Dončić's absence, the Lakers lost 126–105 to the rival Celtics Friday despite 36 points from guard Austin Reaves.

The five-time All-Star’s first full season in Los Angeles following his shocking February exit from the Mavericks has gone swimmingly so far, with Dončić averaging 35.3 points, 8.9 rebounds and 8.9 assists per game. The Lakers are currently 16-6, good for third in the Western Conference.

Following its game against Philadelphia, Los Angeles will return home to host the Spurs Wednesday in an NBA Cup quarterfinal.

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