Luka Doncic was injured and did not return after halftime of the game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday night.
The Lakers said the NBA’s leading scorer suffered a left leg contusion. Doncic leads the leaderboard with 35.2 points per game, just ahead of Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander with 32.5 points.
“I saw him limping in the second quarter,” head coach JJ Redick said after the Lakers’ 108-88 loss, adding that he had no further information on the matter.
Doncic scored 12 points, grabbed 5 rebounds and made 2 assists in 19 minutes of play in the first half, while the Lakers were trailing 54-39. He missed his first six shots and received a technical foul.
“The worst thing about sports is injuries,” LeBron James said after the game. “Not just in basketball, but in all sports in general. Anyone who wears the uniform must give their best. And on the other side we have to defend. »
James had not spoken to Doncic, but said he noticed the Slovenian star was limping.
Doncic’s absence left the Lakers even more short on players.
Rui Hachimura missed his first game as a starter this season. The winger, who averages 13.3 points per game, suffers from groin pain that appeared after Thursday’s game in Utah. He is expected to be out for 3-5 days.
The team hopes to soon have Deandre Ayton (left elbow) and Ais doustin Reaves (left calf) back.
