Lakers rule Luka Doncic out; Deandre Ayton, Jaxson Hayes questionable for matchup in Portland
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The Los Angeles Lakers will travel to Portland on Saturday without Luka Doncic, who has been sidelined with left groin soreness. The club’s latest injury report also lists Austin Reaves (left calf strain) and rookie Adou Thiero (right MCL sprain) as out, while centers Deandre Ayton (left knee soreness) and Jaxson Hayes (left hamstring tendinopathy) are questionable.
Doncic has dealt with groin discomfort for roughly a week and played through the issue until now. Following Wednesday’s victory over the Atlanta Hawks, the All-NBA guard acknowledged the pain had intensified, prompting the Lakers to hold him out in Portland. The decision provides two consecutive days of rest ahead of the second game of the back-to-back Sunday at home against the Toronto Raptors.
With Doncic unavailable, LeBron James is expected to assume primary ball-handling duties. Head coach Darvin Ham will likely lean on Marcus Smart, Gabe Vincent and rookie Kobe Bufkin to help generate offense against a Trail Blazers team known for its physical play.
The Lakers could face an even bigger front-court challenge if both Ayton and Hayes are unable to go. Hayes has missed the past two contests but is expected to return at some point this weekend. Should both big men remain sidelined, Ham may turn to Maxi Kleber, rookie Drew Timme and a variety of small-ball lineups to cover minutes at center.
Los Angeles enters the contest having dropped four of its last five games and historically has struggled at Moda Center. Portland is also dealing with injuries to several rotation players, but the Lakers’ short-handed roster underscores the urgency to secure a road win before returning to Crypto.com Arena on Sunday.
Source: LakersNation.com
