Los Angeles Lakers coach JJ Redick says Luka Doncic is “fine” after a right ankle tweak, and the NBA scoring leader should be available Sunday at the Phoenix Suns.
The scare came in the closing minutes of a blowout in Milwaukee, and Doncic did not finish Wednesday’s 123-112 win over the Milwaukee Bucks, but Redick played down the damage, calling the injury “just a light tweak.” Doncic indicated he should be ready for the next game.
“I’m good. Obviously, it’s painful a little bit, but I’ll be fine,” he said, according to Lakers Wire.
Luka Doncic Injury Update and Timeline
With just over four minutes left and the Lakers up roughly 20 points, Doncic landed on former Laker Kyle Kuzma’s foot on a step-back attempt and twisted his right ankle. He stayed in to hit the free throw, then left for the locker room, finishing with 32 points on 10-of-25 shooting plus five rebounds and five assists.
Redick had planned to give the bench the final stretch of a lopsided game. But Collin Sexton needed stitches after a head collision, so Doncic went back in.
Doncic woke up Thursday free of pain, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported, and he will follow his normal treatment before the Lakers face Phoenix on Sunday, Nov. 15.
Some trackers list him as day-to-day, but he is expected to play, according to USA Today.
Austin Reaves also exited, in the third quarter, with a left heel issue, according to BasketNews. X-rays were negative, and further imaging is planned.
Lower back tightness forced Doncic to miss the Nov. 8 game at Detroit and the Oct. 28 game against the Los Angeles Clippers.
Doncic’s history includes a steady run of minor-to-moderate injuries, among them ankle sprains, plus calf, hamstring, back, knee and heel problems. A left calf strain on Christmas 2024, while he was still with the Dallas Mavericks, kept him out roughly 47 days and delayed his Lakers debut until February 2025. Hamstring strains have also sidelined him, including late in the 2025-26 season.
How Would a Doncic Absence Impact the Lakers?
The Lakers are 11-2, first in the West, with a seven-game winning streak. With Doncic on the floor, they have outscored opponents by 165 points in about 395 minutes, a net rating of roughly plus-19.3. Without him, they have been outscored by 62 points in about 229 minutes, roughly minus-11.1.
Even with those analytics, they won both games he missed, beating the Clippers 103-87 and Detroit 121-116, when Reaves scored 43. A longer absence would remove the NBA’s leading scorer and the team’s primary playmaker, with Reaves’ heel adding a second injury question.
Doncic is averaging 38.6 points, 7.5 rebounds, 7.6 assists, 2.0 steals and 0.7 blocks in 35.9 minutes per game. He is shooting 48.9% from the field, 40.8% from 3-point range and 86.6% at the free-throw line. Entering the Bucks game, he had scored at least 30 points in nine straight appearances.
His 40-point games include 53 against Portland, 52 against Utah, 45 against Toronto, 42 against Miami and 40 against Sacramento, numbers that have fueled MVP talk, according to CBS Sports.
Redick has also praised Doncic’s defensive improvement and communication. Off the court, Doncic has won the prize money most from the Lakers’ “silly fine” system, Redick said.
Lakers Make New Luka Doncic Injury Announcement Before Suns Game