By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Following his early exit on Thursday, Luka Doncic has been ruled out for Saturday’s game between the Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors at crypto.com Arena.
In the absence of further official team updates, a left hamstring strain has emerged as the official injury designation. The Lakers recently returned from a grueling eight-game road trip and began an eight-game homestand with a comeback win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday. This stretch features three additional fixtures before the All-Star break, against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday, the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday, and the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday. It remains unclear if the 26-year-old Slovenian guard will be available for those contests.
Regarding the Lakers’ upcoming opponents, Latvian forward/center Kristaps Porzingis was sidelined due to left Achilles tendon injury management, further delaying his debut with his sixth NBA team. Jimmy Butler III (right ACL tear), LJ Cryer (left hamstring injury management), Seth Curry (left sciatic nerve irritation), and Stephen Curry (right patellofemoral pain syndrome) have also been ruled out by the Warriors. Similarly, the Lakers will be without Adou Thiero (right MCL sprain), while Luke Kennard’s status is questionable due to a pending trade.
In addition to the former European teammates being ruled out, the Denver Nuggets have listed Nikola Jokic as questionable for the final stop of their three-game road trip against the Chicago Bulls at United Center. Tamar Bates (left foot surgery), Aaron Gordon (right hamstring strain), Spencer Jones (concussion protocol), and Peyton Watson (right hamstring strain) are all confirmed out. However, Cam Johnson (right knee bone bruise) has been upgraded to questionable, and Christian Braun (left ankle sprain) is listed as probable.
A significant concern for the Serbian superstar is that he must play in 29 of the remaining 30 regular-season games to remain eligible for season-ending awards, including the MVP trophy. However, the priority for both player and team is to prevent a serious setback and secure the best possible seeding for the 2026 Playoffs, even if it means falling short of the 65-game appearance requirement.