Luka Dončić, injured in Lakers' loss to Clippers

Los Angeles Lakers suffered a worrying defeat on Saturday night against the Los Angeles Clippers (103-88) and raised alarms as they lost Luka Doncic, who did not return to the court after sustaining a left leg contusion during the first half of the NBA game.

Coach JJ Redick confirmed after the match that the Slovenian guard was already experiencing physical difficulties before halftime. "I saw him limping towards the end of the first half. He came to me at halftime and said he couldn't play," explained the coach, who added that he still does not have specific information about the player's recovery time. Doncic left the arena without addressing the media, and the coaching staff refrained from making projections about his progress.

The injury occurred on a challenging night for the Los Angeles star, who was leading the NBA in scoring with 35.2 points per game, along with 9.1 assists, 8.8 rebounds, and 1.7 steals, all near career highs. However, against the Clippers, he struggled from the start: 12 points, shooting 4 for 13 from the field and 1 for 6 from three-point range, in addition to 5 rebounds, 2 assists, and 4 turnovers, in a first half that ended with the Lakers trailing 54-39.

According to a source cited by ESPN, the contusion was a result of a collision with Bogdan Bogdanovic, a Clippers guard, and is not related to the lower left leg contusion that caused Doncic to miss three games at the end of October. Nevertheless, the coincidence raises concerns once again about the player's health.

The situation was exacerbated by the multiple absences the team already had. Austin Reaves (left calf), Deandre Ayton (left elbow), and Rui Hachimura (right groin) were also unavailable, forcing Redick to rearrange the rotation. Dalton Knecht replaced Doncic at the start of the second half.

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LeBron tried to turn the game around

Nevertheless, LeBron James tried to hold the team together with an impressive performance: 36 points, his best mark of the season, shooting 15 for 28 from the field and 3 for 7 from three-point range. His effort helped cut a 22-point deficit in the third quarter to just seven at the beginning of the final period, but the Lakers could not complete the comeback. The rest of the team had a very unsuccessful night, shooting 19 for 60 overall (31.7%) and only 3 for 31 from beyond the arc.

"Regardless of the circumstances, he remains the next," stated James after the game. "We are all professionals and have to be ready. It was very challenging circumstances, but we competed with intensity and followed our game plan. We just fell short." Similarly, Jake LaRavia pointed out poor outside shooting as a decisive factor: "We played with a lot of intensity, but the shots just weren't falling."

Looking ahead to the next games, Redick expressed cautious optimism. He did not rule out Reaves and Ayton returning on Tuesday against the Phoenix Suns, and he hoped that Hachimura's injury would keep him out for only between three and five days.

The defeat leaves the Lakers with a record of 19-8, placing them in the fourth position in the West. After the match in Phoenix, they will host the Houston Rockets on Christmas Day, who are currently fifth. "Injuries are the worst part of sports,” reflected James. “But with whoever is available, we have to go out there and execute at the highest level possible and defend unitedly.”

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Luka Doncic, lesionado en la derrota de los Lakers contra los Clippers