After superstar forward LeBron James went down with a groin injury, the Los Angeles Lakers have been a completely different team. The Lakers have now lost three consecutive games, their last two being without James, as five-time All-Star Luka Doncic has not been able to do enough to drag them to wins.
On Thursday night, the Lakers suffered a 20-point loss to the Milwaukee Bucks, even though Doncic dropped 45 points and 11 rebounds on 14-27 shooting from the field and 7-13 from beyond the arc.
The Lakers now head into the second leg of a back-to-back, traveling to face the Denver Nuggets on Friday night.
The Nuggets have three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic leading the way, so the Lakers will certainly need Doncic to suit up to have a chance against this third-place Denver squad. Unfortunately for the Lakers, Doncic is unsure if he will be good to go, giving an update on his status after Thursday’s loss in Milwaukee.
Through 13 games since getting traded to the Lakers, Doncic is averaging 26.1 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 7.6 assists, taking over LA but still needs to prove he can win without James.
The Nuggets have lost two of their last three games, and while Friday’s game against the Lakers is expected to be a challenging one, Denver will catch a serious break if LA is without James and Doncic.
