Luka Doncic carried a heavy offensive burden through the first two playoff games against the Minnesota Timberwolves, scoring over 30 points in each contest to help the Los Angeles Lakers split the series.
However, the Lakers found themselves on the road for Game 3 and Doncic wasn’t feeling himself as he was reportedly dealing with a stomach bug. Doncic had been feeling symptoms the previous day and it was obvious watching him on the court that he wasn’t close to 100 percent.
There were several possessions throughout the evening where Doncic wasn’t as aggressive as he could have been and deferred to a teammate. Defensively, he was even worse as he struggled to move his feet, allowing players like Jaden McDaniels to go off in the scoring column. The Lakers eventually lost to the Timberwolves 116-104, falling behind in the series 2-1 with Game 4 quickly approaching.
Following the loss, head coach JJ Redick revealed how sick Doncic actually was heading into the game, via Spectrum SportsNet:
“He hasn’t been feeling well for the last 24 hours. I don’t know how much he slept last night. He didn’t feel well last night. His stomach was bothering him; he was vomiting all afternoon. I’m not sure what happened at halftime, I’ll find out. He was really under the weather.”
Doncic’s illness came at a terrible time as Los Angeles needs the superstar to operate the offense and generate looks for the rest of the team. LeBron James and Austin Reaves did their best to cover for Doncic, combining for 58 points, but it wasn’t enough against Minnesota’s stout defense.
With Game 4 less than 48 hours away, it’s going to be tough for Doncic to get back to close to full health. His Game 3 stat line of 17 points, eight assists and seven rebounds was far from what the Lakers need for them to beat a hungry Timberwolves team, but it remains to be seen how effective the Slovenian star will be come Sunday.
Nico Harrison makes stunning admission about Luka Doncic
Dallas Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison has been under fire for months for his decision to trade Luka Doncic to the Lakers. While Harrison has previously explained that the Mavericks wanted to focus more on defense, it’s unprecedented for a team to trade a generational superstar about to hit their prime.
Harrison has rarely made media appearances, but in a recent press conference he made a stunning admission that he didn’t realize Doncic was so important to the Dallas fanbase.
It’s an embarrassing statement from Harrison considering how beloved Doncic was, but now the Lakers get to benefit from his folly.
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