The Los Angeles Lakers are playing the Miami Heat on Monday, November 2, in a game that will feature NBA superstar and MVP candidate Luka Doncic, per the team’s latest injury report.
Along with Doncic set to play, the Lakers will see the career debut of rookie Cameron Carr, who has missed the start of the season so far. Los Angeles will miss Adou Thiero, as he remains out with a lingering knee injury.
This is the Lakers’ second slate of back-to-back games this year, and though Doncic didn’t play in the team’s second game in two days on October 28 due to back tightness, it’s good news for everyone in the organization that he doesn’t have an injury designation for the upcoming matchup against the Heat.
Lakers Reveal Key Luka Doncic Injury Update
As mentioned, Doncic is not featured on the Lakers’ injury report for Monday night with any negative health status.
That’s a positive update considering he played in the first night of the team’s back-to-back on October 27 against the Portland Trail Blazers, but ended up sitting against the Los Angeles Clippers the following night due to what was officially described as ‘back tightness.’
According to head coach JJ Redick, Doncic was out with an injury because the Lakers were being ‘cautious’ with him to start the year.
“JJ Redick says that both Luka Doncic and Ziaire Williams woke up sore after the Blazers game. He says the Lakers are being “cautious” with both of them by holding them out vs LAC as the team plays Game 2 out of a five games in seven days stretch,” ESPN’s Dave McMenamin wrote in a post on X.
That could have turned into a negative trend if Doncic was set to miss Monday’s game against Miami, but the good news for the Lakers is that he isn’t dealing with the back injury and is set to play.
Doncic has missed just one game so far this season for Los Angeles, and amid his MVP-level start to the year, he’ll need to stay available and save himself from any missed time due to injuries if he wants to stay in contention for end-of-season awards.
Los Angeles’ Star Sees MVP Odds Surge
In six games this season for the Lakers, Doncic is averaging 37.7 points, 8.2 rebounds, 7.3 assists, and 1.8 steals on 48.2/43.2/90.2 shooting splits.
It includes a 52-point game, a 41-point game, and most recently, a record-breaking 45-point game against the Toronto Raptors.
“Dončić is the first player in NBA history to reach 15+ REB, 5+ AST, 5+ STL, and 5+ 3PM in a game… and he also scored 45 PTS!” the NBA wrote on X.
😮💨 45 PTS 😮💨 15 REB 😮💨 6 AST 😮💨 5 STL 😮💨 8 3PM 😮💨 LAL W
Dončić is the first player in NBA history to reach 15+ REB, 5+ AST, 5+ STL, and 5+ 3PM in a game… and he also scored 45 PTS!
That scoring average is the highest of his career and would be the fourth-highest in NBA history if he keeps up this pace for an entire year. The 37.7 points only trail three Wilt Chamberlain seasons from the 1960s, and would be higher than Michael Jordan’s best scoring year in 1986-87, as well as James Harden’s historic 2018-19 MVP-winning season.
“Luka Dončić (226) becomes the third player in NBA history since 1960 to tally 225+ points through his first six games of a season, joining Michael Jordan (1986) and Wilt Chamberlain (2x),” the NBA also announced.
With that, Doncic’s MVP odds have surged over the past few weeks.
Heading into the year, he was anywhere from third to fifth in MVP odds according to the major sportsbooks and prediction markets, but two weeks into the year, he sits firmly second in the race, only behind Victor Wembanyama in the MVP odds.
Doncic has come close to winning the award in the past, but has yet to claim the trophy in his career. But now, in his first full season leading the Lakers, he’s making his best case to win the MVP this year, so far on a historic pace that could continue on Monday against the Heat.
Still, the good news for Doncic and the Lakers is that he doesn’t have an injury for the team’s second back-to-back of the year, a trend they hope will continue as the year goes on.
Lakers Reveal Important Luka Doncic Injury Update Before Heat Game