The Los Angeles Lakers missed a golden opportunity to take control of their first round playoff series, falling 116-104 to the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 3 on Friday night. Despite a monster outing from LeBron James—38 points, 10 rebounds, and four assists—the Lakers were ultimately undone by a sluggish second half and a noticeably under-the-weather Luka Doncic.
Doncic, who had carried the Lakers’ offense through the first two games by averaging 34 points per contest, struggled a lot in Game 3. The Slovenian star finished with just 17 points on 6-of-16 shooting, adding seven rebounds and eight assists, but looking visibly fatigued and unlike his usual self.
Doncic, who had carried the Lakers’ offense through the first two games by averaging 34 points per contest, struggled a lot in Game 3. The Slovenian star finished with just 17 points on 6-of-16 shooting, adding seven rebounds and eight assists, but looking visibly fatigued and unlike his usual self.
After the loss, head coach JJ Redick revealed that Doncic had been battling illness for the past 24 hours, vomiting throughout the afternoon and struggling to sleep the night before Game 3 (via ESPN’s Dave McMenamin).
Following the game, a viral clip of ESPN’s coverage of Doncic in distress circulated online, showing the five-time All-star looking pale and drained, which fueled concerns about his condition.
Fans quickly latched onto the footage posted on X, pouring out their concerns about Doncic’s health.
The Lakers will need a much healthier version of Doncic to bounce back in Game 4 on Sunday, with the Timberwolves now holding a 2-1 series lead. In what feels like a must-win situation, all eyes will be on Doncic’s recovery—and whether he can summon a performance that keeps the Lakers’ playoff hopes alive.
