Lakers' Luka Doncic: Officially ruled out for Tuesday
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Doncic (hamstring) has been ruled out for Tuesday's Game 2 of the Western Conference first-round series against the Rockets.
Doncic has been sidelined by a Grade 2 left hamstring strain, and, as expected, will remain out as the Lakers look to extend their series lead to 2-0. An update on Doncic and Austin Reaves' (oblique) status and potential return is likely to come in the next few days, though in the meantime Los Angeles will look to continue getting strong production from Luke Kennard, who delivered a 27-point performance in Game 1.
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Lakers' Deandre Ayton: Shines with double-double
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Ayton contributed 19 points (8-10 FG, 3-3 FT), 11 rebounds, two assists and one block over 35 minutes during Saturday's 107-98 win over the Rockets in Game 1 of the first round of the Western Conference playoffs.
Ayton's scoring total was engineered in part by LeBron James, who found his big man often and generated a few assists by connecting with him. Ayton has had his share of inconsistencies this season, but he went toe-to-toe with Alperen Sengun and finished with the better rebound result. It's all hands on deck for the Lakers, who need balanced output from everyone with Luka Doncic (hamstring) and Austin Reaves (oblique) sidelined. Ayton needs to keep the volume up and assume additional responsibility as a scoring threat to keep ahead of the Rockets in the first-round series.
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Lakers' LeBron James: Drops 13 dimes in convincing win
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James ended with 19 points (9-15 FG, 1-2 3Pt, 0-2 FT), eight rebounds, 13 assists, one block and two steals in 38 minutes during Saturday's 107-98 win over the Rockets in Game 1 of the first round of the Western Conference playoffs.
James racked up eight assists before the end of the first quarter, fully embracing his role as a ball distributor. He had time to perform his own heroics as a scorer as well. He converted 60 percent of his shots in the contest and was only two rebounds shy of his fourth triple-double of the season. With Luka Doncic (hamstring) and Austin Reaves (oblique) absent, James is expected to keep turning back the clock, churning out solid totals as the Lakers try to sweep the Rockets.
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Lakers' Luke Kennard: Delivers 27 points in victory
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Kennard finished Saturday's 107-98 win over the Rockets in Game 1 of the first round of the Western Conference playoffs with 27 points (9-13 FG, 5-5 3Pt, 4-6 FT), four rebounds and three assists across 38 minutes.
Kennard has cemented himself as the primary beneficiary amidst the Lakers' injury woes. The team faced a bleary outlook coming into the series, considering Luka Doncic (hamstring) and Austin Reaves (oblique) are likely to miss the first-round series against the Rockets. Kennard has carried over his late-season heroics into the postseason and appears more than ready to continue the charge. He led all scorers in the game by a wide margin. If he can keep the stellar production going, the Lakers' chance of advancing will skyrocket.
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Lakers' Luka Doncic: Out at least one more week
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Doncic (hamstring) will miss at least one more week, per Khobi Price of The California Post.
Doncic is still considered out indefinitely due to a Grade 2 left hamstring strain, and his status for the first round of the playoffs versus Houston remains in serious doubt. With Austin Reaves (oblique) also out indefinitely, the Lakers will have to lean more heavily on LeBron James, and Luke Kennard should continue to play a more prominent role in the backcourt as well.
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Lakers' Luka Doncic: To be re-evaluated Tuesday
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Doncic (hamstring) is scheduled to be re-evaluated on Tuesday, Shams Charania reported on the Pat McAfee Show.
Doncic spent the past week in Spain undergoing multiple injection treatments on his Grade 2 hamstring strain. Charania notes that the expectation is that Doncic will be sidelined to start the series, which comes as no surprise, but there should be a better understanding of his timeline once the Lakers re-evaluate him.
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Lakers' Luka Doncic: Seeking treatment in Europe
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Doncic will seek specialized medical treatment in Europe for his Grade 2 left hamstring strain, Shams Charania of ESPN reports.
This is an effort to expedite his return to play. Doncic has already been ruled out for the rest of the regular season, but it's no surprise that he will do everything in his power to make a return as early as possible into the postseason.
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Lakers' Luka Doncic: Won't return Thursday
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Doncic (hamstring) is out for the remainder of Thursday's game against Oklahoma City, Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints.com reports. He'll end the night with 12 points (3-10 FG, 1-7 3Pt, 5-6 FT), four rebounds, seven assists and one steal in 26 minutes.
This news isn't unexpected given the amount of pain Doncic appeared to be in after suffering the injury, and the game was also out reach shortly after he departed for the locker room. The Lakers should have more information to share on the extent of the star guard's injury after running additional tests. Doncic is scheduled to undergo an MRI on Friday, per Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com.
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Lakers' Luka Doncic: Heads to locker room
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Doncic went to the locker room during the third quarter of Thursday's game against the Thunder with an apparent left hamstring injury, Thuc Nhi Nguyen of the Los Angeles Times reports.
Doncic looked to suffer the injury while pulling up for a shot attempt, and he was down on the baseline for a few minutes after the play before eventually getting up and limping to the locker room under his own power. The exact details of his injury are unclear at this time.
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Lakers' Luka Doncic: Erupts for 42-point night
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Doncic registered 42 points (13-26 FG, 6-13 3Pt, 10-10 FT), five rebounds, 12 assists and two steals in 34 minutes during Tuesday's 127-113 win over the Cavaliers.
Doncic didn't skip a beat after serving a one-game suspension Monday against the Wizards for picking up his 16th technical foul of the campaign. He put together an offensive masterpiece and secured his first double-double since March 18 by reaching double-digit assists. Doncic reached the 40-point threshold for the 16th time this year and closed March by reaching the 40-point mark in three consecutive showings.
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Lakers' Luka Doncic: Suspension made official
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Doncic, after being assessed his 16th technical foul of the season, will be suspended for Monday's game against the Wizards, the NBA announced Saturday.
Doncic was issued a technical in Friday's win over the Nets, and the infraction was upheld postgame, resulting in the star point guard's suspension. With Doncic out of the picture Monday, Luke Kennard and Jake LaRavia could see an uptick in playing time, while Austin Reaves is likely to take on more on-ball duties. Doncic should be back in action Tuesday against the Cavaliers.
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Lakers' Luka Doncic: Drops 41, lands one-game ban
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Doncic recorded 41 points (15-25 FG, 5-10 3Pt, 6-6 FT), eight rebounds, three assists, three steals and one block across 39 minutes in Friday's 116-99 win over the Nets. He was issued his 16th technical foul with 5:12 remaining in the third quarter, triggering an automatic one-game suspension.
Doncic turned in an extremely efficient performance, reaching the 40-point mark for a second consecutive contest and scoring at least 30 for a 12th straight game. He also led the Lakers in steals and finished with at least three combined steals-plus-blocks for the fourth time over his last five games. However, the superstar got into an altercation with Ziaire Williams in the third quarter, resulting in both players receiving technical fouls. Barring a successful appeal to rescind the technical, Doncic is slated to sit out Monday's game against the Wizards.
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Lakers' Luka Doncic: Available for Friday
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Doncic (hamstring) is available for Friday's game against the Nets.
Doncic will power through his questionable tag for this contest. He's been playing a ton of minutes lately, making him a candidate for a maintenance day in the upcoming back-to-back set that begins Monday against Washington.
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Lakers' Luka Doncic: Questionable for Friday
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Doncic is questionable for Friday's game versus the Nets due to left hamstring soreness.
Doncic has been playing heavy minutes for the Lakers, so there's a chance he could get hit with a rest day going up against the 17-56 Nets. If Doncic is out, Austin Reaves and LeBron James would see a bump in usage, and there would be more minutes available for Luke Kennard and Kobe Bufkin.
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Lakers' Luka Doncic: Goes for 40 points, again
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Doncic generated 43 points (15-30 FG, 4-11 3Pt, 9-10 FT), seven assists, six rebounds and one steal across 38 minutes of Wednesday's 137-130 win over the Pacers.
Doncic has hit the 40-point milestone in three of his last five games after drilling 50 percent of his field goal attempts Wednesday night. The star point guard has also scored at least 30 points in 11 consecutive contests, averaging 39.5 points, 8.1 rebounds, 7.3 assists and 2.5 steals during that span.
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Lakers' Luka Doncic: Team-high 32 points not enough
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Doncic tallied 32 points (11-29 FG, 3-13 3Pt, 7-8 FT), seven rebounds, six assists and three steals over 39 minutes in the Lakers' 113-110 loss to the Pistons on Monday.
Doncic was cleared to play Monday after successfully appealing his one-game suspension from the league. He came out swinging with 17 points in the first quarter but connected on six of 19 field-goal attempts over the last three frames (including 1-for-6 from beyond the arc). Despite the inefficient shooting night Monday, Doncic has logged 30-plus points over his last 10 outings, highlighted by his 60-point scoring barrage against the Heat in Thursday's win. The Lakers complete their six-game road trip Wednesday against the Pacers.
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Lakers' Luka Doncic: Triggers one-game suspension
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Doncic finished Saturday's 105-04 win over the Magic with 33 points (12-30 FG, 3-13 3Pt, 6-9 FT), eight assists, five rebounds, four steals and one block in 38 minutes. He was issued his 16th technical foul of the season with 1:19 remaining in the third quarter, triggering an automatic one-game suspension.
Doncic put together another impressive stat line Saturday, albeit with poor shooting from the field and the free-throw line. Rather than his production, however, Doncic's 16th technical foul is the bigger headline from the night. Barring a successful appeal to have the technical foul rescinded, Doncic is now set to miss Monday's game in Detroit in what will be a costly blow to managers who are relying on the star guard for the fantasy playoffs.
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Lakers' Luka Doncic: Erupts for 60 points in win
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Doncic accumulated 60 points (18-30 FG, 9-17 3Pt, 15-19 FT), seven rebounds, three assists and five steals over 38 minutes during Thursday's 134-126 win over the Heat.
Fresh off a 40-point explosion, Doncic erupted for 60, setting a record for the most points by an opposing player in Heat franchise history. This also marked the highest-scoring performance by a Laker since Kobe Bryant's last game back in 2016, and it's the third time in Doncic's career that he's reached the 60-point plateau. Additionally, the superstar set the Lakers' single-season record for three-pointers made Thursday. The Lakers have now won eight straight and 11 of their past 12 games.
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Lakers' Luka Doncic: Available to play
Rotowire
Doncic (hip) will play Thursday in Miami.
Doncic is dealing with a minor hip issue, but he'll push through the pain and make himself available for Thursday's game. Doncic has scored at least 30 points in seven straight games, and he'll look to make it eight in a row in Miami.
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Lakers' Luka Doncic: Iffy for Thursday
Rotowire
Doncic is questionable for Thursday's game against Miami with right hip soreness.
Presumably, the Lakers are considering a maintenance day for the second leg of this back-to-back set -- LeBron James (foot) and Austin Reaves (arm) are also questionable. Doncic generated 40 points (12-25 FG, 7-17 3Pt, 9-14 FT), nine rebounds, 10 assists and one steal across 38 minutes in Wednesday's 124-116 win over the Rockets, so the Lakers may play it safe here.
