The Los Angeles Lakers will have to manage without one of their stars for at least the remainder of Saturday’s game against the Los Angeles Clippers.
Luka Dončić exited Saturday’s game with a left leg contusion and was ruled out for the remainder of the game, the team announced. ESPN’s Dave McMenamin reported, “A source familiar with the injury told ESPN it was caused by a collision with Clippers guard Bogdan Bogdanovic.”
On Monday, JJ Redick announced Dončić was day-to-day, as the star was seen sporting tape around his lower left leg at practice:
He posted 12 points, five rebounds and two assists in 20 minutes before exiting.
The Lakers are currently sitting in fourth place in the Western Conference at 19-7. Dončić has enjoyed a strong start to the season, averaging 35.2 points, 8.8 rebounds and 9.1 assists per game.
Dončić is hoping to have a healthier 2025 after missing significant time a season ago, but he’s already dealt with some injuries. He missed a few games in late October and early November because of a left finger sprain and a left leg contusion. The injuries came after Dončić opened the season with a 43-point effort and a 49-point outing.
Dončić is coming off another strong season in which he put up 28.2 points, 8.2 rebounds and 7.7 assists per game in 50 contests between the Dallas Mavericks and the Lakers. The 26-year-old is hoping to earn his sixth consecutive All-NBA nod and perhaps even more recognition, and staying healthy is key to achieving that goal.
Dončić isn’t the only Laker to have dealt with early ailments. Star veteran LeBron James suffered sciatica on his right side before the season started, and it kept him sidelined until mid-November.
The pairing of Dončić and James is more than capable of making a deep postseason run, but their hopes of winning a title depend heavily on both being injury-free heading into the playoffs.