As if the injury bug wasn’t biting badly enough, the Lakers were dealt another blow midway through Saturday’s game against the Clippers. After limping his way through the second quarter, Luka Dončić was ruled
out of the game with a left leg contusion.
As mentioned, Luka was visibly limping during the second quarter, though he also wasn’t looking to come out of the game. It was an odd situation where he was clearly limited, but still more than willing to play through the injury.
It also came on a night when the Lakers were already severely shorthanded. Austin Reaves and Deandre Ayton were out yet again while Rui Hachimura was a new addition to the injury report as he missed Saturday’s contest with a groin injury.
With Gabe Vincent also still out with a back injury, the Lakers went into the game down three starters and four rotation players. Luka’s absence only added to those problems.
The Lakers will next be in action on Tuesday when they travel to Phoenix before hosting the Rockets on Christmas Day. The concern now will be how long Luka will be out.
It is not an injury he’s dealt with this season, so hopefully this is a one-game situation and he can return on Tuesday. The Lakers have a bit of a cushion in their win-loss record, so they could absorb a bit of an absence. But with injuries piling up, they could certainly use a bit of good fortune when it comes to injuries.
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