The Collin Sexton debut is finally set. The Los Angeles Lakers left the guard off their injury report for tonight’s game against the LA Clippers at Crypto.com Arena (7 p.m. PT), so he is expected to play his first game in purple and gold. Jake LaRavia is questionable with a right ankle sprain from Wednesday’s opener. Adou Thiero and Cameron Carr remain out, and Walker Kessler is available while wearing a splint on his left finger.
The Official Injury Report
The NBA’s official injury report from Friday morning lists the Lakers this way:
- Jake LaRavia: questionable, right ankle sprain.
- Adou Thiero: out, left knee effusion/swelling.
- Cameron Carr: out, right oblique strain.
- Walker Kessler: available, left finger splint.
- Collin Sexton: not listed.
The Lakers’ own injury page shows the same three players, with LaRavia “questionable for 10/23/26.” Thiero and Carr are both missing their second straight game.
Why the Collin Sexton Debut Took So Long
Sexton missed all of the preseason and Wednesday’s opener with a strained right soleus, a muscle in the calf. He was a full participant in practice for the first time on Monday, per the New York Post. He was listed as questionable for the Warriors game, then ruled out a few hours before tip.
JJ Redick said that call was about caution, not a new problem. “No setback, no setback,” Redick said Wednesday, per the Post. “Collaborative decision with performance, everyone involved. I always say this, with soft tissue injuries, the athlete has to have confidence and full confidence.”
Two days later, Sexton is cleared. His minutes and role tonight have not been announced. The Lakers have not said whether he will be on a restriction, so treat any number you see as a guess until Redick speaks before the game.
What Sexton Adds to the Second Unit
Sexton signed a two-year, $19.2 million contract in July, per the Post, and carries career averages of 18.3 points and 3.6 assists. He gives the Lakers a ball-handler behind Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, a spot that looked thin in the opener.
Against Golden State, Quentin Grimes played 27 minutes off the bench (10 points, four assists). Jaden Hardy and Bronny James each played seven minutes, mostly after the game was decided. Sexton’s arrival should shift those backcourt minutes.
He has already described how he sees his fit. “I’m super excited to get out there, and I can see where I can fit in pretty easily,” Sexton said earlier this week, per the Post. “Even just on the defensive side, bringing that energy, bringing that juice and trying to disrupt.”
On offense, he pointed to his drives and his spacing: “Getting to the paint. That’s something that I’ve done really well in my career. And then spacing, making sure I’m spacing for the guys like Luka, AR, even just when Walker [Kessler] gets in the pocket, being ready to shoot on the back side.”
Jake LaRavia’s Ankle
LaRavia was one of the best bench players in the 127-105 win over the Warriors. In 18 minutes he scored 10 points on 4-of-5 shooting, made 2-of-3 threes and finished plus-14. Late in the fourth quarter, with the game out of reach, he sprained his right ankle on a drive, went to the floor and was helped to the locker room.
After the game, Redick did not know how serious it was. Silver Screen and Roll reported that he was optimistic it was not as bad as first feared. A questionable tag two days later fits that. Whether LaRavia plays will likely be decided closer to tip-off and is unconfirmed as of this writing.
If he sits, the forward minutes are likely to go to Sandro Mamukelashvili, who played 22 minutes on Wednesday, and Jarred Vanderbilt, who did not get into the opener. That rotation call belongs to Redick and has not been announced.
Thiero, Carr and Kessler
Redick said before the opener that Thiero would be shut down for a short period because of his knee. The official report now lists left knee effusion, which means swelling. ESPN lists it as knee inflammation. Carr, a rookie, has not played because of the oblique strain. No return date has been given for either player.
Kessler played through the finger splint on Wednesday and went 12-for-12 for 26 points and nine rebounds. Tonight he faces Isaiah Jackson and Brook Lopez, a bigger and more physical frontcourt than Golden State’s.
Tonight: Clippers at Lakers
- Tip: 7 p.m. PT, Crypto.com Arena.
- TV/stream: Spectrum SportsNet+ (Lakers), ClipperVision (Clippers), per ESPN.
- Records: Both teams are 1-0. The Clippers beat Sacramento 121-96 on Wednesday.
- Line: Lakers -9.5, total 228.5 (DraftKings via ESPN).
- Clippers out: Bradley Beal, Brandon Ingram, Max Strus, Jordan Miller and Yanic Konan Niederhauser.
The Lakers started Doncic, Reaves, Ziaire Williams, Matisse Thybulle and Kessler against the Warriors. Previews expect the same group tonight, but the lineup has not been confirmed. Darius Garland, who scored 30 against Sacramento, leads the Clippers. Former Laker Rui Hachimura is expected to start at forward in his first game against his old team.
The rivalry has swung toward the Lakers lately. According to the AP, the Lakers have won eight of the last 12 meetings since the Clippers’ 11-game winning streak in the series ended after the 2022-23 season.
Lakers Schedule Ahead
- Sunday, Oct. 25: at Utah Jazz, 2 p.m. PT.
- Tuesday, Oct. 27: vs. Portland Trail Blazers, 8 p.m. PT.
- Wednesday, Oct. 28: at LA Clippers, Intuit Dome, 7:30 p.m. PT.
That is two Lakers-Clippers games in six days, the second one on the Clippers’ home floor.
Source Notes
- Which ankle: The NBA injury report, the Lakers and the New York Post all say right ankle. Hoops Rumors wrote “left ankle sprain.” We follow the official report.
- Sexton’s injury: It is called a right soleus strain, a calf strain or a lower-leg injury in different reports. The soleus is a calf muscle, so these do not conflict.
- Sexton’s practices: The Post says Monday was his first full practice. Silver Screen and Roll says he was full on Monday and Tuesday. These do not conflict.
- Beal: One preview called Bradley Beal a game-time decision. The official report lists him as out (right knee, injury management).
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