Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic was ruled out after halftime of Saturday’s game against the Los Angeles Clippers because of a left leg contusion.
Doncic struggled in the first half, going 4 of 13 from the floor with 12 points. At one point, he could be seen sitting on the Lakers bench with a towel over his legs while rubbing his left calf.
The Lakers already were missing three starters: Deandre Ayton (elbow), Rui Hachimura (groin) and Austin Reaves (calf).
Doncic, 26, entered Saturday’s game scoring 35.2 points per game with 9.1 assists and 8.8 rebounds in 20 starts to begin his first full season with the Lakers. The five-time All-Star was traded to Los Angeles in February of last season while out with a calf strain.
Over eight NBA seasons with the Dallas Mavericks and Lakers, Doncic has averaged 28.9 points with 8.6 rebounds and 8.3 assists in 470 games (all starts).
Clippers center Ivica Zubac also departed, leaving late in the first quarter with a left ankle injury after he stepped on the foot of the Lakers’ LeBron James. Zubac went to the locker room with 1:13 remaining in the first and never returned after scoring five points with two rebounds.
Zubac entered scoring 16.0 points over his first 27 games (all starts) with 11.5 rebounds. In 10 seasons, first with the Lakers then with the Clippers, Zubac has averaged 10.5 points with 8.3 rebounds in 611 games (478 starts).
