LOS ANGELES –– The quiet whispers of hopeful prayers filled the seats of crypto.com Arena long before roars washed over the floor. The fluorescent frequency from the lights in the rafters buzzes with a softer hue now that certainty has dissolved into question.

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The veteran guard had been sidelined with a right ankle contusion suffered against Orlando on March 21, watching as the Lakers’ season was flipped on its head.

Getty Marcus Smart #36 and Luke Kennard #10 of the Los Angeles Lakers look on during a game against the Dallas Mavericks at Crypto.com Arena on February 12, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. For Thursday’s game, Smart is officially listed as questionable on the injury report.

BOTTOM LINE: Utah travels to Los Angeles looking to break its nine-game road skid. The Lakers are 32-19 in conference games. Los Angeles is eighth in the Western Conference with 14.8 fast break points per game led by LeBron James averaging 5.7.

The Phoenix Suns face the Los Angeles Lakers Friday at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California. Tip-off is set for 10:30 p.m. ET.

Is Austin Reaves' future in LA as secure as previously presumed? Not so fast, according to an NBA insider from Bleacher Report.

LeBron James reached 12,000 career assists in the Lakers' 101-73 rout of the Suns, becoming the fourth player in NBA history to do so.