Luka Doncic will miss Thursday night's Los Angeles Lakers game vs. the Portland Trail Blazers as he continues to deal with a calf injury, NBA insider Marc Stein reported.
This decision comes one day after he played 33 minutes vs. the Charlotte Hornets in his first time playing without limited minutes with the Lakers since being traded earlier this month.
He suffered the calf injury on Christmas Day, and he returned back to action on Feb. 10. Wednesday night was his third appearance as a Laker, and he struggled by making just 5-of-18 shots and only one three-pointer out of nine attempts.
The Lakers, on medical advice, will hold Luka Dončić out tonight in Portland as part of the recovery from a long-term calf injury, @TheSteinLine has learned.
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) February 20, 2025
The Lakers, I'm told, are pleased with his progress and optimistic he'll soon participate fully in back-to-backs.
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Lakers coach JJ Redick had said ahead of Wednesday's game that Doncic would be "fine" competing without limited minutes because of the All-Star break giving him some extra time to recover. It hasn't been stated whether or not Doncic suffered a setback in his recovery, and L.A. is happy with his recovery per Stein's report, but this decision definitely sparks a red flag for NBA fans.
Doncic was traded to the Lakers on Feb. 2 in a blockbuster move that sent Anthony Davis to the Dallas Mavericks in return.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Lakers Rule Luka Doncic Out for Thursday Night Game at Trail Blazers.
