Luka Dončić Out Against Clippers With Back Tightness

Luka Dončić will miss the Lakers’ game against the Clippers on Wednesday with back tightness, according to the NBA’s injury report. The absence comes on the second night of Los Angeles’ first back-to-back of the season, one day after he scored 41 points against Portland.

Dončić had started each of the Lakers’ four games. He averaged 36.0 points in that opening stretch, leading the league in scoring, with 8.3 assists and 6.8 rebounds per game. Wednesday’s game at Intuit Dome is scheduled for 10:30 p.m. ET.

Los Angeles also ruled out Ziaire Williams with left foot inflammation and soreness. The Lakers therefore enter their second meeting with the Clippers in less than a week without two players who started Tuesday’s 136–129 loss to the Trail Blazers. That result left the Lakers at 3–1 after they won their first three games.

Dončić played 37 minutes against Portland and finished with nine assists and five rebounds, Field Level Media reported. His scoring kept Los Angeles competitive, but the Lakers were outscored 34–26 in the fourth quarter. The back-to-back gives them a quick chance to respond while requiring a different allocation of minutes and possession of the ball.

Austin Reaves has been the Lakers’ other scoring option, averaging 26.5 points through four games. He led Los Angeles with 28 points and nine assists in its 125–117 win over the Clippers on October 23. Dončić had 23 points, six rebounds and seven assists in that matchup. The Lakers need another source of offense Wednesday.

The injury designation establishes Dončić’s absence against the Clippers. It does not provide a return date or establish that the back issue will keep him out beyond this game. The Lakers’ subsequent availability reports will determine his status for the rest of the schedule.