Is Luka Doncic Playing Tonight Against Philadelphia 76ers? Lakers Get a Massive Boost on Superstar’s Status After Birth of Second Child (Dec. 7)

Luka Doncic is expected to make his return to the lineup when the LA Lakers wrap up their three-game road trip with a stop in Philadelphia to take on the 76ers on Sunday. The NBA superstar had missed the last two games to be with his family for the birth of their daughter, Olivia Doncic, in Slovenia.

Doncic’s return is massive. This season, he leads the league in points at 35.3 points per game while averaging 36.9 minutes on the court. In his absence, the Lakers have gone 1-1, including a brutal 126-105 loss at the hands of archrivals the Boston Celtics.

Irrespective of whether Doncic starts against the 76ers or comes off the bench on Sunday, the timing of his return couldn’t be better. The Lakers’ offense failed to click against Boston, who shot 24-for-45 (53.3%) from beyond the arc. It’s impossible not to notice how completely different the Lakers’ offense looks when he’s not on the floor

While Luka Doncic’s return is significant, LA is still dealing with injuries to LeBron James and Marcus Smart. James is listed as questionable due to sciatica and a left foot ailment. He sat out the second leg of the back-to-back Boston clash on Friday.

Meanwhile, Smart is most likely to miss his sixth consecutive game with back-related issues.

The Lakers enter Sunday’s matchup with a 16-6 record, tied with the Denver Nuggets for second place, behind conference leaders OKC Thunder. They will look to avoid losing back-to-back games for the first time this season.

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Luka Doncic Stats vs. Philadelphia 76ers

Luka Doncic has averaged 25.7 points, 7.7 rebounds and 8.2 assists in 10 games against the 76ers. He has a 4-6 record. This will be his first outing against the Sixers as a Laker.

He did not play against the Eastern Conference team last year due to the trade. He was a Mavericks player when the 76ers faced the Lakers in November 2024 and January 2025, and he was a Laker when the Mavericks played the 76ers in February and March 2025.

His highest scoring game against the Sixers was 42 points in a 133-126 win in February 2023.

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How to Watch Luka Doncic’s Lakers Return vs. Philadelphia 76ers

The Lakers vs. 76ers game takes place at the Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, with tipoff slated for 7:30 p.m. ET.

This is one of the two nonconference games scheduled for the Lakers this year. The game will air live on SportsNet LA and NBCS-PH locally. Streaming will be available through the Fubo platform, while international fans can watch via NBA League Pass.