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Dorian Finney-Smith has found a new home with the Los Angeles Lakers, and his recovery from an ankle injury is being carefully managed by the team’s staff.

As reported by ESPN’s Dave McMenamin, JJ Redick revealed that Finney-Smith has been on a minutes restriction since joining the Lakers. However, the forward has now been cleared to add 4-5 more minutes per game.

Finney-Smith spoke about the support he’s received from the Lakers’ training staff, saying, “They’re saving me from myself… I got to be begging to play more minutes.” The 31-year-old noted that it’s a far better situation than when he played with the Brooklyn Nets, where he had to take a shot to push through his injury and stay on the floor.

Finney-Smith is averaging 7.1 points and 2.8 rebounds in 23.3 minutes per game since arriving in Los Angeles. His ability to stretch the floor with his shooting has been key to the Lakers’ offensive success. He connected on four three-pointers in the team’s 111-88 win over the Washington Wizards, helping the Lakers maintain spacing and offensive flow.

In that game, the Lakers delivered a dominant performance behind strong contributions from Anthony Davis and LeBron James. Davis led the charge with 29 points and 16 rebounds, while James recorded his 121st career triple-double with 21 points, 13 assists, and 10 rebounds. Austin Reaves and Finney-Smith also chipped in with 16 points apiece, with Finney-Smith’s timely three-pointers proving especially crucial.

Washington, on the other hand, struggled to maintain any momentum, dropping their 11th consecutive game. Bilal Coulibaly led the Wizards with 17 points, marking his highest-scoring performance of January. Jordan Poole and Corey Kispert added 15 points each, but the Wizards’ shooting woes continued, with the team shooting just 35.8% from the field and 25.6% from beyond the arc.

For the Lakers, Davis and James once again proved to be the cornerstones of the team, with their leadership and consistent play keeping the Wizards at bay. The Lakers’ defense, spearheaded by Davis, was stifling, holding Washington to just 88 points.

The victory improved Los Angeles’ record to 23-18, as they continue to stay competitive in the Western Conference.