Luka Doncic was one of five Los Angeles Lakers starters who were out of action on Tuesday night. With the stars sidelined, the shorthanded Lakers suffered a 136-108 blowout loss to the San Antonio Spurs.
L.A. had no answer for Victor Wembanyama, who turned in an incredible performance. The Spurs superstar scored a game-high 40 points on 13-of-20 overall, 4-of-6 from three-point territory and 10-of-12 from the charity stripe. The 7-foot-4 big man also added 12 rebounds, two assists, two steals and a block. He did all that in just 26 minutes of action.
The Lakers dropped to 32-21 after losing their second straight game.
Dustin Safranek-Imagn Images
Joining Doncic on the sidelines for Tuesday’s game were LeBron James, Austin Reaves, Deandre Ayton and Marcus Smart. All five starters were dealing with respective injuries on the second night of a back-to-back set.
It’s Doncic who is nursing the most concerning issue among all five starters, though. The 26-year-old missed his third straight game due to a hamstring strain.
The Lakers are back in action on Thursday. They host Doncic’s former team, the Dallas Mavericks, in a home game at Crypto.com Arena. Lakers head coach JJ Redick shared an update on Doncic’s status ahead of the Mavs game.
Speaking to reporters ahead of the Spurs game, Redick revealed that Doncic is “progressing well” in his road to recovery. He is still considered day-to-day.
Redick did not confirm if Doncic will be available for Thursday’s game against the Mavericks. However, considering how this will be L.A.’s last game before the All-Star break, the Lakers could very well decide to give their superstar guard another night off to maximize his recovery period.
At this point, there is also no guarantee that Doncic will be able to take part in the All-Star Game on Sunday.