Luka Doncic left the Lakers’ loss at midcourt with a bruised left leg
Luka Doncic left the Lakers’ loss to the Clippers at halftime Saturday and did not return with what the team calls a left leg contusion.
Doncic left the building without speaking to reporters, and coach JJ Redick’s postgame comments didn’t shed much light on the situation (quote via Dave McMenamin of ESPN).
Announcement
“I saw him limping towards the end of the first half. He came to me at half-time and said he couldn’t go… I have no further information.”
The injury clearly bothered him for much of the match. Doncic, the NBA’s leading scorer at 35.2 points per game, scored just 12 points while shooting 4-of-13 (1-of-6 from 3-point range).
Doncic wasn’t the only significant injury in this game. Clippers center Ivica Zubac fell to the floor in the first quarter and immediately limped back to the locker room with what was described as an ankle injury. He did not return to the game and the Clippers said he would be reevaluated Sunday. Zubac has been one of the few consistent bright spots in the Clippers’ season, averaging 15.6 points and 11.1 rebounds per game.
The Clippers earned their first home win since Halloween with a 103-88 victory over the Lakers. Kawhi Leonard led the Clippers with 32 points and 12 rebounds, while James Harden chipped in with 21 points and 10 assists.
LeBron James led the Lakers with 36 points, but every other Lakers shot 31.7% that night, including 3-of-30 from beyond the arc.