Luka Doncic injury update: JJ Redick provides 'cautious' update on Lakers’ leader’s status against Clippers

Luka Doncic is out for the Lakers’ game against the Clippers on Wednesday night because of back tightness. Coach JJ Redick said the guard and Ziaire Williams both woke up sore, a day after Doncic scored 41 points in a loss to Portland. Tuesday’s 136-129 result was the Lakers’ first loss of the year. Los Angeles is calling the move a precaution. It is his first missed game this season, and the Lakers are in the middle of five games in seven days.Why is Luka Doncic not playing against the Clippers?Luka Doncic is sitting out the second night of the Lakers’ first back-to-back this season. Redick said Doncic and Williams both woke up with problems, tightness in the back for one and soreness in the left foot for the other. The coach pointed to a tough run of games with little rest in between and kept the explanation short: “Just being overly cautious.”The reigning scoring champion leads the NBA at 36.0 points per game and has topped 40 points twice in four games. Against Portland, Doncic played 37 minutes and finished with 41 points on 12-of-22 shooting, five rebounds and nine assists. The tightness first appeared on the injury report for the second night of the back-to-back, and nothing in the reporting ties it to a particular play.Dan Woike of The Athletic added that a source sees “No longterm worry” for Doncic.What does Doncic’s absence mean for the Lakers this week?Austin Reaves and Walker Kessler are expected to carry the Lakers against a Clippers team that is 1-2 and has six players out, including Bradley Beal, Brandon Ingram and Rui Hachimura. Quentin Grimes and Collin Sexton could see bigger roles. Williams, Adou Thiero and Cameron Carr are also out for Los Angeles, which beat the Clippers 125-117 last week.The bigger question is Friday. The Lakers open NBA Cup play at Golden State on Oct. 30, and Redick would say only that playing both Doncic and Williams is the hope. Home games against Toronto on Nov. 1 and Miami on Nov. 2 finish the five-in-seven run.Back issues are not new. Doncic missed a short stretch with lower-back tightness in March 2021 while in Dallas, and those episodes cleared in a game or two. The more serious injury was a Grade 2 left hamstring strain in April, which ended the 2025-26 season early and cost Doncic the playoff run.Get the latest Sports News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.