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Dave McMenamin
PORTLAND — Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Doncic will miss Saturday’s game against the Portland Trail Blazers because of left groin soreness, the team announced Friday.
Doncic, 26, is coming off of 39 points, 4 assists and 3 rebounds in L.A.’s 135-117 loss to the Charlotte Hornets on Thursday.
Earlier in the week, before the Lakers’ 124-112 loss to the Sacramento Kings on Monday, Doncic said he «felt something» in his groin area while warming up, but played nonetheless — receiving treatment on his inner leg during the game.
He scored 42 points against the Kings with 8 assists and 7 rebounds and then played the next night in the Lakers’ rousing 141-116 win over the Atlanta Hawks, when he put up 27 points, 12 assists and 5 rebounds after being a game-time decision.
Doncic leads the league in scoring with 33.6 points per game and is the Western Conference’s leading vote getter through two rounds of All-Star ballot returns.
Despite his personal success in his first full season with the Lakers after last February’s shocking trade from the Dallas Mavericks, the Lakers are in a bit of a tailspin, losing eight of their past 13 games to drop to No. 5 in the West.
After the Hornets game, Doncic cited the Atlanta win as evidence L.A. can overcome the funk it’s in.
«The way we play against Atlanta, it was a back-to-back, too, so we told on ourselves [that we are capable],» Doncic said. «We got to play like that. Playing fast, playing with physicality. I think Atlanta was a good example for us.»
The Lakers also announced that backup center Jaxson Hayes is questionable Saturday because of the left hamstring tendinopathy that has kept him out the past two games, while starting center Deandre Ayton is a new addition to the injury report. Ayton is questionable because of left knee soreness.
