The Lakers’ slump is on the verge of exasperating. In their third straight loss, Luka Doncic had a 42-point masterclass. Yet he’s in a dicey position. His struggles and the Lakers’ worst fears manifested in the final quarter against the Sacramento Kings. This could be crucial before they host the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday.

Doncic scored 40 of his 42 points through the first three quarters, going 15-for-21 from the field. He also had seven assists and six rebounds across 30 minutes. But he arrived in the final quarter with his thigh wrapped and only had two points. He was hampered by discomfort in his lower body towards the end of the game.

After the game, he was asked if the injury could let him play the second of a back-to-back game. “Yeah, I was really uncertain, you know, before the game. I felt like warming up… I felt something. So, I was just trying to get warm and get going. But tomorrow, we’ll see how I wake up.”

He confirmed that he’s facing a possible strain in his inner thigh area. He’s not been medically evaluated yet. So he didn’t have much clarity to provide. It looks like he’s adopting LeBron James’ stance to handle this injury.

LeBron James feels comfortable with Luka Doncic’s presence

A day before the game, JJ Redick announced a major decision to preserve the injury-ravaged Lakers’ health. They cancelled shootarounds for the regular season, primarily to ensure 41-year-old LeBron James doesn’t suffer more wear and tear.

James personally has taken his own stance, declaring he’s officially “TBD” for every back-to-back schedule. He repeated the same on Monday night. But maybe things will change if Luka Doncic is questionable too.

Part of the reason why James has the confidence to sit out back-to-backs is his new young powerhouse. Even tonight, he appreciated how Doncic has fit into the Purple & Gold ecosystem.

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“I think it’s more important, just like him finding comfort and just being in LA. And, you know, now being able to start this full year from the beginning, he starts getting more and more comfortable with not only what we want to run offensively, but just the city and just being comfortable where he is—you know, moving into his place, things of that nature. I think that just helps. That helps a lot.”

James’ comments also reflect the burden Doncic has to carry. While the Lakers are in a slump, Doncic continues to put up MVP numbers and is leading the All-Star votes. Most believe his consistent explosive scoring is a byproduct of Luka settling in Los Angeles.

Injuries threaten to derail the roster. Austin Reaves is out till the end of this month. That leaves only Doncic and James to manage the offense. Redick’s even changed his rotation to ensure that at least one of them is on the floor at all times without playing extended stretches. He’s cancelled shootarounds and working around back-to-backs.

The Lakers team and fans will probably wait with bated breath for the final injury report on Doncic. And maybe James will end up playing his first back-to-back of the season.