Luka Doncic has been ruled out for the Lakers' game at Detroit on Sunday night with lower-back tightness. He was listed day-to-day on Saturday, and the Lakers go to Detroit without their leading scorer.
What happened
Doncic was upgraded from day-to-day to out on the injury report at 1:29 p.m. ET Sunday, with a back and torso designation. He had been day-to-day with the same designation on Saturday, Nov. 7. Trevor Lane of LakersNation.com reports that Doncic was ruled out for Sunday's game at Detroit due to lower-back tightness. It is not the first time this back and torso issue has appeared on his report. He was listed out on Oct. 28 and moved to day-to-day on Oct. 29. He was cleared the same day. The report lists Monday, Nov. 9, as his expected return.
What it means for the Lakers
The Lakers play at the Pistons at 6:00 p.m. ET on NBA TV. They arrive 8-2, third in the standings, and have won four straight. Doncic has played nine games and averages 40.1 points, 7.8 rebounds and 7.7 assists in 35.9 minutes. In the games he missed, Austin Reaves played 36.1 minutes and scored 23.5 points a night. Walker Kessler logged 31.2 minutes, Quentin Grimes 25.5, Ziaire Williams 24.5 and Matisse Thybulle 24.3. Jake LaRavia, Sandro Mamukelashvili and Collin Sexton also filled the rotation. The Lakers are 7-2 with Doncic and 1-0 without him.
What to watch
The next injury report will show whether Doncic's status changes before the Lakers' following game. The report lists his expected return as Monday, Nov. 9. The Lakers have not announced a further timeline beyond that date. Watch Reaves' minutes and scoring in Detroit, since he carried the heaviest load in the rotation when Doncic was out. Watch how Kessler and Grimes are used as well. Any change to the back designation will appear on the report.
Is Luka Doncic playing at the Pistons on Sunday?
No. Doncic has been ruled out for the Lakers' game at Detroit on Sunday, Nov. 8, because of lower-back tightness. He had been day-to-day on Saturday.
When will Luka Doncic be back?
The injury report lists Monday, Nov. 9, as his expected return. The Lakers have not announced anything beyond that date.