Luka Doncic suffered a left leg contusion throughout the first half of the Los Angeles Lakers’ 103-88 defeat to the LA Clippers on Saturday and didn’t return after halftime.
The Lakers star entered the sport main the NBA in scoring at a career-high 35.2 factors per recreation, alongside averages of 9.1 assists, 8.8 rebounds and 1.7 steals.
He endured a troublesome first half towards the Clippers, ending with 12 factors on 4-of-13 taking pictures, together with 1-of-6 from three-point vary, whereas including 5 rebounds, two assists and 4 turnovers. Los Angeles trailed 54-39 on the interval.
Lakers head coach JJ Redick stated Doncic was unable to proceed after sustaining the damage earlier than halftime.
“I noticed him hobbling in direction of the top of the primary half. He got here to me at halftime and stated he couldn’t go,” Redick stated.
Doncic left the Intuit Dome with out chatting with reporters, and Redick stated he didn’t but have readability on the severity of the damage or a timeline for his return.
“I don’t have some other data,” he stated.
Whereas Doncic missed three video games in late October with a decrease left leg contusion, the 2 incidents are believed to be unrelated.
The Lakers had been already with out three starters, with Austin Reaves sidelined by a left calf challenge, Deandre Ayton out with a left elbow damage and Rui Hachimura lacking the sport resulting from a proper groin drawback.
LeBron James stated the staff needed to adapt regardless of the mounting absences.
“It doesn’t matter what the circumstances are, it’s nonetheless subsequent man up,” James stated. “We’re all professionals. All of us acquired to remain prepared.
“So, clearly it’s very difficult circumstances for our ball membership tonight, however I believe we performed extraordinarily arduous, we adopted our keys. We simply got here up quick.”
James scored a season-high 36 factors on 15-of-28 taking pictures because the Lakers briefly lowered a 22-point third-quarter deficit to seven early within the fourth quarter earlier than fading late on.
Los Angeles struggled offensively exterior of James, taking pictures 19-of-60 total and simply 3-of-31 from three-point vary.
“We simply didn’t hit photographs tonight,” Lakers ahead Jake LaRavia stated. “I imply, that’s actually what it was. We had been 6-for-38 from 3 as a staff, we missed seven free throws.
“Robust to win basketball video games like that. I assumed we performed actually, actually arduous. However yeah, photographs simply weren’t falling.”
Redick stated he was hopeful Reaves and Ayton may return for Tuesday’s highway recreation towards the Phoenix Suns, whereas Hachimura is anticipated to overlook between three and 5 days.
The loss drops the Lakers to 19-8, fourth in the Western Conference. They face Phoenix subsequent earlier than internet hosting the Houston Rockets on Christmas Day.
“The worst factor about sports activities is accidents,” James stated. “You management the controllables, however what we’ve on the market, whoever is in uniform, we’ve to exit and execute on the utmost tempo that we will and on the opposite finish, we acquired to defend on a string and assist one another out.”
