Luka Doncic was cleared on Monday's injury report, moving off Day-To-Day with a back and torso issue. The Lakers have him available for the 7:00 PM ET game at Atlanta.
What happened
The Lakers guard-forward Luka Doncic was listed as Cleared on the official injury report at 1:29 PM ET on Monday, Nov. 9. He had been Day-To-Day with a back and torso issue earlier that day. The report gave no detail and no comment, and no return date is announced. The issue has moved quickly. He was Out on Wednesday, Oct. 28, then Day-To-Day and Cleared on Oct. 29. He was Day-To-Day again on Saturday, Nov. 7, Out on Sunday, Nov. 8, and Day-To-Day again on Monday before the clearance.
What it means for the Lakers
The Lakers play at the Hawks on Monday at 7:00 PM ET, and they come in 9-2 as the first seed, winners of five straight. Doncic is averaging 40.1 points, 7.8 rebounds and 7.7 assists in 35.9 minutes over nine games. Los Angeles is 7-2 with him and 2-0 without him. In those games, Austin Reaves took 36.2 minutes and scored 25.3 points a night, and Walker Kessler played 31.0 minutes. Reaves is Day-To-Day with an illness. Quentin Grimes is Out with a finger and arm issue, so he is not available to cover minutes.
What to watch
The next update to watch is the Lakers' injury report for the Hawks game, which should show whether Doncic's status changes before tip-off at 7:00 PM ET. No minutes limit has been announced. His back and torso issue has returned at least once since he was first cleared on Oct. 29, so the status is worth checking before each game. Reaves' illness is the other report item to follow, along with Grimes' absence.
Is Luka Doncic playing at the Hawks on Monday?
He is listed as Cleared on the injury report as of 1:29 PM ET Monday, after being Day-To-Day with a back and torso issue. The game is at 7:00 PM ET.
When will Luka Doncic be back?
He is already cleared, so no return date applies. An expected return is not announced, and no minutes restriction has been announced.