The LA Lakers picked up a big injury blow as point guard Luka Doncic was ruled out of Saturday's game against the Portland Trail Blazers. The Purple and Gold released a big injury report, which consisted of two new additions, with Doncic and Deandre Ayton joining Austin Reaves, Jaxon Hayes and Adou Thiero.
Bad news for LA Lakers
Doncic was left out because of left groin soreness after the Slovenian star recently sparked concern by accepting he was not fully healthy. Following the Lakers' loss against the Sacramento Kings on Monday, Doncic asserted that played the game without being fully fit.
"Yeah, I was really uncertain," Doncic said. "Before the game warming up, I felt something. I was just trying to get warm and get going. But tomorrow, we will see how I wake up."
The lingering problem did not force Doncic to miss a game immediately. He appeared against the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday, which was the back end of a back-to-back. The former Dallas Mavericks guard guided the team's charge against the Charlotte Hornets on Thursday, another game in which the Lakers endured a big loss.
Luka Doncic's wonderful outing against the Hornets
However, Doncic had a great outing against the Hornets. He amassed 19 points in the first quarter en route to 39 points on the night on 15 of 26 shooting, consisting of 6 of 11 beyond the arc. Doncic marched back to the locker room in pain before even the clock ran out on Thursday.
Tough job for Lakers coach JJ Redick
His absence on Saturday only increased JJ Redick's tension, with the Lakers missing their offensive engine and the league scoring leader (33.6). It will be exciting to see how Doncic's status shapes up as the Lakers gear up for a eight-game road trip that starts next week.