Luka Doncic exits with leg contusion as Clippers beat Lakers 103-88 in LA

Lakers prima Luka Doncic suffered a near limb contusion successful the archetypal fractional of Saturday’s 103-88 nonaccomplishment to the LA Clippers and did not return, adding to an already thinned Los Angeles lineup connected a unsmooth nighttime astatine the Intuit Dome.

Doncic entered the crippled starring the NBA successful scoring astatine a career-best 35.2 points per game, portion besides averaging 9.1 assists, 8.8 rebounds and 1.7 steals. He could not find a bushed aboriginal against the Clippers, scoring 12 points connected 4-of-13 shooting (1-of-6 from 3) with 5 rebounds, 2 assists and 4 turnovers arsenic the Lakers trailed 54-39 astatine halftime.

Redick says Doncic couldn’t continue

"I saw him hobbling towards the extremity of the archetypal half. He came to maine astatine halftime and said helium couldn't go," Lakers manager JJ Redick said aft the game.

Doncic near the arena without speaking to reporters, and Redick declined to conjecture however agelong helium mightiness beryllium out.

"I don't person immoderate different information," Redick said.

Doncic missed 3 games successful precocious October with a little near limb contusion, though a root acquainted with the wounded told ESPN this 1 was caused by a collision with Clippers defender Bogdan Bogdanovic.

Lakers combat back, nevertheless shots don’t fall

The Lakers were already missing 3 starters: Austin Reaves (left calf), Deandre Ayton (left elbow) and Rui Hachimura (right groin). Dalton Knecht opened the 2nd fractional successful Doncic’s place.

"No substance what the circumstances are, it's inactive adjacent antheral up," LeBron James said afterward. "We're each professionals. We each got to enactment ready. So, evidently it's precise challenging circumstances for our shot nine tonight, but I deliberation we played highly hard, we followed our keys. We conscionable came up short."

James scored a season-high 36 points and helped chopped a 22-point third-quarter shortage to 7 aboriginal successful the fourth. The remainder of the roster changeable 19-for-60, including 3-for-31 from deep.

"We conscionable didn't deed shots tonight," Lakers guardant Jake LaRavia said. "I mean, that's truly what it was. We were 6-for-38 from 3 [as a team], we missed 7 escaped throws. Tough to triumph hoops games similar that. I thought we played really, truly hard. But yeah, shots conscionable were not falling."

Redick said helium was "hopeful" Hachimura would miss lone 3-5 days, and helium did not regularisation retired Reaves and Ayton for Tuesday astatine Phoenix. The Lakers fell to 19-8, 4th successful the West, with Houston coming connected Christmas Day.

"The worst happening astir sports is injuries," James said. "And not conscionable basketball, but sports successful general. You power the controllables, but what we person retired there, whoever is successful uniform, we person to spell retired and execute astatine the utmost gait that we tin and connected the different end, we got to support connected a drawstring and assistance each different out."