Doncic accumulated 28 points (7-18 FG, 2-8 3Pt, 12-15 FT), seven rebounds, nine assists and one steal across 40 minutes during Wednesday's 103-96 loss to Minnesota in Game 5 of the first round of the Western Conference playoffs.
Although Doncic logged a great stat line, it wasn't enough to keep the Lakers' playoff hopes alive. Doncic's addition was a gamble that expected to reap dividends in the postseason, but the team will now enter a new chapter where LeBron James' future is in question, leaving Doncic as the future face of the team. The All-Star averaged 30.2 points, 7.0 rebounds and 5.8 assists over the five-game series.
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Lakers' Luka Doncic: Back to start second half
Rotowire
Doncic (back) has returned from the locker room and will start the second half of Wednesday's game against the Timberwolves, Khobi Price of The Orange County Register reports.
Doncic took a fall at the end of the first half and looked to be in some discomfort while reaching for his back. However, the halftime pause was long enough for Doncic to recover, and he's ready to go for the final 24 minutes of Game 5.
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Lakers' Luka Doncic: Heads to locker room
Rotowire
Doncic exited Wednesday's game against the Timberwolves and went back to the locker room with an apparent back injury, Jovan Buha of The Athletic reports.
Doncic was grabbing at his lower back as he walked to the locker room with one minute remaining in the second quarter. The star guard took an awkward fall but remained in the game to shoot free throws before exiting. While he's idle, Gabe Vincent and Jordan Goodwin could see more action..
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Lakers' Luka Doncic: Pours in 38 in Sunday's loss
Rotowire
Doncic ended Sunday's 116-113 loss to Minnesota in Game 4 of the first round of the Western Conference playoffs with 38 points (13-28 FG, 5-12 3Pt, 7-7 FT), one rebound, two assists, one block and one steal across 46 minutes.
The 26-year-old superstar led Los Angeles in scoring, but he couldn't match Anthony Edwards' 43 points. Doncic and the Lakers are on the brink of elimination, but it's through little fault of his -- he's topped 30 points in three of four games during the series, averaging 30.8 points, 7.0 boards, 5.0 assists, 3.5 threes, 1.0 steals and 0.8 blocks.
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Lakers' Luka Doncic: Limited due to illness
Rotowire
Doncic recorded 17 points (6-16 FG, 2-8 3Pt, 3-4 FT), seven rebounds, eight assists, one block and one steal across 40 minutes during Friday's 116-104 loss to the Timberwolves in Game 3 of the first round of the Western Conference playoffs.
Doncic logged 40 minutes despite coming into the game with an apparent illness. He was clearly bothered throughout the game, repeatedly clutching at his stomach. While his numbers were certainly above average, he was well below what we might expect to see from someone of his talent. The Lakers now trail 2-1 in the series despite winning the first game. The two teams will face off in Game 4 on Sunday, where the Lakers will be hoping for a healthier version of their superstar.
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Lakers' Luka Doncic: Just misses triple-double Tuesday
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Doncic finished Tuesday's 94-85 win over the Timberwolves in Game 2 of the first round of the Western Conference playoffs with a game-high 31 points (9-20 FG, 2-8 3Pt, 11-11 FT), 12 rebounds, nine assists and one block across 42 minutes.
After a huge 37-point playoff debut for the Lakers on Saturday in a losing effort, Doncic got a little more help Tuesday and delivered a more well-rounded stat line as a result, nearly coming away with his 11th career postseason triple-double. Doncic has averaged 31.0 points, 9.4 boards, 7.8 assists, 3.3 threes and 1.7 steals in his 52 career playoff games, and there's little reason to expect a slowdown in Game 3 on Friday when the series shifts to Minnesota.
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Lakers' Luka Doncic: Tallies game-high 37 points
Rotowire
Doncic provided 37 points (12-22 FG, 5-10 3Pt, 8-9 FT), eight rebounds, one assist and two steals in 40 minutes during Saturday's 117-95 loss to the Timberwolves in Game 1 of the first round of the Western Conference playoffs.
Doncic left it all on the court, dropping a game-high 37 points in his first playoff game as a member of the Lakers. It wasn't enough for Los Angeles, as they came up well short against an impressive Timberwolves outfit. The Lakers will need to turn things around in Game 2 should they hope to have any chance of moving on to the second round.
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Lakers' Luka Doncic: Off injury report
Rotowire
Doncic (quadriceps) is not on the injury report ahead of Saturday's Game 1 against the Timberwolves.
Doncic was held out of the regular-season finale against the Trail Blazers in order to manage a left quadriceps injury, but that won't prevent him from playing in the Lakers' postseason opener Saturday. In his 22 regular-season appearances for the Lakers, Doncic averaged 28.2 points, 8.1 rebounds, 7.5 assists and 1.6 steals over 35.1 minutes per game while connecting on 37.9 percent of his three-point attempts.
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Lakers' Luka Doncic: Expected to play vs. Minnesota
Rotowire
Doncic (quadriceps) didn't play in the regular-season finale but is expected to be ready for Saturday's game against the Timberwolves.
Doncic hasn't missed a beat since being traded to the Lakers, as he continues to play at a superstar level while being one of the best scorers in the NBA. The 25-year-old guard missed 32 games during the regular season but put up solid numbers in the 50 games he played, averaging 28.2 points, 8.2 rebounds, 7.7 assists and a career-high 1.8 steals per game, shooting 45 percent from the field and 36.8 percent from deep.
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Lakers' Luka Doncic: Not playing in season finale
Rotowire
Doncic is out for Sunday's game against the Trail Blazers due to left quadriceps soreness, Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com reports.
The Lakers will rest several of their regular starters for this matchup since the team already locked up the third seed in the Western Conference, meaning Doncic will get a much-needed day off. The star guard ended the regular season on a heater with averages of 29.9 points, 7.1 rebounds and 7.0 assists per game over his last 10 appearances.
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Lakers' Luka Doncic: Impressive 39-point showing
Rotowire
Doncic posted 39 points (13-19 FG, 5-9 3Pt, 8-14 FT), eight rebounds, seven assists and one steal over 31 minutes during Friday's 140-109 win over the Rockets.
Doncic was coming off a 45-point performance against the Mavericks on Wednesday, and the star guard delivered another impressive outing to lead the Lakers to an impressive 31-point victory. Doncic is firmly established as the Lakers' go-to option on offense ahead of LeBron James, and the numbers back him up. He's scored at least 30 points in four of his last five outings, a stretch in which he's averaging 34.4 points, 6.4 rebounds, 6.0 assists and 1.4 steals per contest.
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Lakers' Luka Doncic: Drops 45 points in return to Dallas
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Doncic posted 45 points (16-28 FG, 7-10 3Pt, 6-9 FT), eight rebounds, six assists and four steals across 38 minutes during Wednesday's 112-97 win over the Mavericks.
Doncic matched a season-high scoring output in his return to Dallas, doing most of his damage in the first half with 31 points. Over his last 15 appearances, the superstar guard has averaged 30.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, 7.2 assists, 1.5 steals and 4.0 three-pointers in 36.3 minutes. Doncic has reached the 20-point mark in 14 of those 15 outings.
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Lakers' Luka Doncic: Tossed against OKC on Tuesday
Rotowire
Doncic was ejected during the fourth quarter of Tuesday's game against the Thunder after being assessed his second technical foul, Nick Crain of Forbes.com reports.
Doncic appeared to get into an argument with a fan sitting courtside and was ejected with 7:40 remaining in the final quarter. He will finish Tuesday's contest with 23 points (7-15 FG, 3-7 3Pt, 6-7 FT), five assists, three rebounds and a block across 31 minutes. Gabe Vincent will likely see an uptick in playing time the rest of the way due to Doncic being ejected.
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Lakers' Luka Doncic: Available to play Tuesday
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Doncic (groin) is available for Tuesday's game against the Thunder, Ryan Ward of LakersNation.com reports.
Doncic, who was initially listed as questionable for Tuesday's contest, has been upgraded from probable to available for the front end of the club's back-to-back set. The superstar has appeared in nine straight games, averaging 28.7 points, 7.4 rebounds, 7.2 assists and 1.0 steals across 37.0 minutes per contest. Doncic has averaged 3.8 three-pointers per game while shooting 38.6 percent from beyond the arc in that nine-game span.
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Lakers' Luka Doncic: Likely to play vs. OKC
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Doncic (groin) has been upgraded to probable for Tuesday's game against the Thunder, Ryan Ward of LakersNation.com reports.
Doncic was initially listed as questionable for Tuesday's matchup in Oklahoma City, but now that has been changed to probable, which changes the dynamic for this game against the top-seeded Thunder. The superstar guard is averaging 27.7 points, 8.3 rebounds, 7.8 assists and 1.8 steals per game, shooting 44.1 percent from the floor and 35.6 percent from beyond the arc.
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Lakers' Luka Doncic: Questionable with groin strain
Rotowire
Doncic is questionable for Tuesday's game against the Thunder due to a groin strain, Ryan Ward of LakersNation.com reports.
Tuesday is the front end of a back-to-back for the Lakers, so the team could choose to give Doncic the night off in one game or the other. With Austin Reaves (ankle) questionable and LeBron James iffy to play with a groin strain of his own, the Lakers could be severely undermanned against Oklahoma City. Doncic has averaged 28.9 points, 7.5 rebounds, 7.2 assists, 1.1 steals and 3.8 three-pointers in 36.6 minutes over his last 10 games.
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Lakers' Luka Doncic: Pours in game-high 30 on Sunday
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Doncic finished Sunday's 126-99 win over the Thunder with 30 points (11-20 FG, 5-11 3Pt, 3-4 FT), seven rebounds, six assists and two steals across 37 minutes.
The 26-year-old superstar led all scorers on the night as the Lakers close in on securing the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference. Doncic last missed a game March 20 due to a sore ankle; since then, he's averaging 28.7 points, 7.4 boards, 7.2 assists, 3.8 threes and 1.0 steals.
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Lakers' Luka Doncic: Bounces back with 35 points
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Doncic recorded 35 points (10-21 FG, 4-10 3Pt, 11-11 FT), six rebounds and six assists across 36 minutes during Friday's 124-108 win over New Orleans.
Doncic had a hard time finding the bottom of the basket against the Warriors, but he came back to life and led the team in scoring. Although his three-point stroke is still struggling, the rest of his game is at an elite level, and his acquisition is reaping massive benefits for the Lakers. The team is 8-4 when Doncic scores 30-plus points, and they'll give him all the minutes he can handle to reach that goal.
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Lakers' Luka Doncic: Shoots poorly in loss
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Doncic closed with 19 points (6-17 FG, 0-6 3Pt, 7-7 FT), eight rebounds, seven assists and one block across 38 minutes during Thursday's 123-116 loss to the Warriors.
Doncic struggled shooting Thursday, failing to make a three-pointer for the first time this season. The 26-year-old has seen his scoring efficiency dip as of late, shooting under 40 percent from the field across his past four games. After the game, the superstar was seen with his left arm heavily wrapped, according to Khobi Price of The Orange County Register. Doncic said his arm wasn't affecting his play, and he isn't listed on the injury report for the second half of the Lakers' back-to-back set against the Pelicans on Friday.
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Lakers' Luka Doncic: Nears triple-double in win
Rotowire
Doncic closed with 29 points (8-18 FG, 2-9 3Pt, 11-12 FT), nine assists, eight rebounds and two steals across 38 minutes during Saturday's 134-127 victory over the Grizzlies.
Doncic flirted with a triple-double once again Saturday, leading the Lakers in rebounds and assists in the win. The superstar also finished as the club's second-leading scorer behind Austin Reaves (31 points), and Doncic has recorded at least 25 points in six consecutive appearances. Additionally, the 26-year-old logged multiple swipes for the 24th time over 43 regular-season outings. He's on pace to average a career-high 1.9 steals per game.
