Luka Doncic injury update Lakers, Digi Mart USA News: The Los Angeles Lakers will be without star Luka Doncic for Sunday’s game against the Detroit Pistons because of lower back tightness.
Doncic’s health was a major storyline for the 2025-26 Lakers, as injuries forced him to miss the end of the regular season and the team’s playoff win over the Houston Rockets and loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder. Defeating the Thunder would have been a daunting task even with a healthy Doncic, but the Lakers had no chance without him.
That is because he is one of the best players in the entire league, with a resume that includes a Western Conference Finals MVP, two scoring titles, a Rookie of the Year award, six All-NBA selections and six All-Star nods. He led the league in scoring last season while averaging 33.5 points, 8.3 assists, 7.7 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game, shooting 47.6 percent from the field and 36.6 percent from deep.
Doncic became even more important for the Lakers ahead of the 2026-27 campaign when LeBron James departed in free agency and signed with the Philadelphia 76ers. It was a further signal that the Purple and Gold were Doncic’s team moving forward.
He has delivered in the early going this season, averaging 40.1 points, 7.8 rebounds and 7.7 assists through his first nine games.
Doncic has scored 40 or more points in four consecutive games. If he is sidelined by this latest setback beyond Sunday’s game, Los Angeles will likely rely even more on Austin Reaves to carry the offense from the perimeter.
Look for Collin Sexton to see even more playing time as the team looks to tread water during the star’s absence.
Still, the only realistic way the Lakers will compete with the top teams in the Western Conference is with a healthy Doncic.
