This February, the Dallas packed someone for ‘not being in shape’. Come October, Luka Doncic has an average of 46 points in the opening week, playing for the LA Lakers! The Lakers did lose against the Warriors before reminding the Timberwolves of last season’s playoff revenge in his back-to-back 40+ shows. Now, the team would expect to keep the momentum while facing the Sacramento Kings. But is the star playing or has fatigue taken over? The injury report has an upset for Laker Nation.

Unfortunately, Luka Doncic won’t be able to suit up for the Lakers against the Kings. As per ESPN’s Shams Charania, “Lakers’ Luka Doncic is out for at least one week with a left finger sprain and lower left leg contusion.” The Slovenian star suffered a left finger sprain during the Lakers’ 128-110 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday.

Despite the discomfort, Luka played through the second half with his finger wrapped. He ended up scoring a remarkable 49 points, grabbing 11 rebounds, and dishing out 8 assists. His status for tip-off tonight was uncertain since then, and now the report confirms his unavailability at least for a week. What’s worse is that both of the Lakers’ stars, LeBron James and Luka Doncic, are out for now.

Along with Luka’s latest hurdle, key teammates like LeBron James, Maxi Kleber, and Jaxson Hayes are all sidelined. But Doncic’s injury might hurt the Lakers because he was in terrific form in the first two opening games. He opened the season with 43 points, 12 rebounds, and 9 assists in a narrow loss against the Golden State Warriors. The Lakers’ 77 was also the architect of their win against the Wolves.

Luka’s brilliant 49-point game, combined with Austin Reaves’ 25 points and Rui Hachimura’s 23 points, helped the Lakers bounce back. However, things can become shaky for the Lakers if Luka does not play tonight. It is not just his finger. Another lingering issue. In addition to the finger sprain, Luka has been managing a mild groin issue, even before the regular season began.

Will Luka Doncic play tonight vs the Sacramento Kings?

No, the Slovenian star won’t be on the floor for tonight’s matchup. Given the nature of his dual injury (finger and leg), the team has no other option but to rest the star. In his absence, the Lakers will have to lean heavily on Austin Reaves. He is averaging 25.5 points this season and will now have to handle more playmaking duties. Rui Hachimura is also expected to see a scoring bump. With Doncic out, Los Angeles must balance offense to stay competitive against Sacramento.

Moving on to the Sacramento Kings, well, they are entering the 2025-26 season with a balanced roster but with a fair share of injuries. Rookie Nique Clifford is out with a right hamstring strain. Zach LeVine is listed as day-to-day, and Keegan Murray is out for a thumb injury, but the center of all remains Luka, as many ask how many games the star will miss.

How many games will Luka Doncic miss?

Luka Doncic will miss tonight’s game as the Lakers face the Sacramento Kings. Not just that, he might miss around 6 to 7 games if things do not go well. For the rest of the week, they will have the Portland Trail Blazers on October 27 and the Minnesota Timberwolves on October 29. Then they will face the Memphis Grizzlies on the 31st before taking on Miami on 2nd November. That’s exactly a week from today. These are teams capable of exploiting a weakened Lakers rotation.

If Doncic sits out well beyond a week, the Los Angeles Lakers will have to navigate these contests without their offensive anchor. Each game in this stretch will play a role in shaping early standings in a highly competitive Western Conference.

If players like Rui Hachimura, Reaves, and Russell can find rhythm, it would strengthen the team’s depth in the long run, but missing two star players isn’t an ideal start to the Lakers’ long-term plans for the season.