Luka Doncic will miss at least a week because of a sprained finger on his left hand and a bruised lower left leg, the Los Angeles Lakers announced Sunday.
“You’re losing a guy who creates an advantage on nearly every offensive possession – that’s the toughest part,” Lakers coach J.J. Redick said at Golden 1 Center. “We’ve got to be mindful of our personnel and make sure we keep playing with pace.”
Doncic had been in blistering form, opening the season with consecutive 40-point performances for the Lakers, who face the Sacramento Kings on Sunday night. The team said he will be re-evaluated in about a week.
Doncic scored 43 points in the Lakers’ loss to Golden State on opening night and racked up 49 in a victory over Minnesota on Friday night. He scorched the Timberwolves despite spraining a finger on his non-shooting hand in the opening minutes.
The Lakers also are without LeBron James, who will be sidelined until at least mid-November because of sciatica.
Doncic’s likely one-week absence comes at an inopportune time for Los Angeles, which has six games in the next nine days. The Lakers will have to lean heavily on Austin Reaves, who has scored 51 points in their first two games.
“We’re going to need offense from other guys,” Redick said. “Everything’s got to be done within the framework of what we’re trying to do.”
