By Waqar Ali Shah, Sports Business Correspondent | Jan 16, 2025 | Sports
LOS ANGELES: The Los Angeles Lakers are entering a state of high alert following a bittersweet performance at Crypto.com Arena on Thursday night. While the box score highlights a surgical scoring night, the primary headline is the Luka Dončić injury that saw the superstar retreat to the locker room during the second half of a 135–117 loss to the Charlotte Hornets.
Dončić, who torched the Hornets for 39 points, signaled to the bench in the third quarter while clutching his lower back. Although he made a brief return in the fourth, his lateral movement was clearly hampered. According to team sources, a definitive Luka Dončić injury update is expected following an MRI scheduled for Friday morning.
Performance Breakdown: Luka’s Dominance vs. Hornets
Before the exit, Dončić was performing at an MVP level, hitting six three pointers and facilitating the offense almost single handedly. However, his high usage rate continues to be a point of concern for his long term health.
Luka Dončić Individual Stats (Jan 15, 2026)
| Category | Stats | Analysis |
| Points | 39 | 19 points in a dominant first-quarter surge |
| Field Goals | 15-of-26 | 57.7% shooting efficiency |
| 3-Pointers | 6-of-11 | Season high first half perimeter success |
| Reb / Ast | 5 Reb / 6 Ast | Facilitated the majority of the first half offense |
| Minutes | 28 | Exit to locker room limited total floor time |
The Chain Reaction: Analyzing the Luka Dončić Injury
The medical concern isn’t just the back; it’s how it relates to his recent history. Dončić has been battling nagging groin soreness since the Lakers’ victory over Atlanta on January 13.
Sports medicine experts often cite compensatory injuries, where a player alters their gait or posture to protect one muscle, leading to a strain elsewhere. With a 36.7% usage rate the highest in the league the Luka Dončić injury risks becoming a recurring theme if the Lakers (24–15) cannot find a way to reduce his physical burden.
Lakers vs. Hornets: Team Comparison
The loss to Charlotte (15-26) exposed a massive depth gap. While the Lakers relied almost exclusively on Luka and LeBron James (29 points), the Hornets utilized a balanced attack led by LaMelo Ball’s nine three pointers.
| Team | Bench Points | Rebounds | 3PM | Final Score |
| Charlotte | 30 | 50 | 20 | 135 |
| LA Lakers | 9 | 35 | 14 | 117 |
What’s Next: The Friday MRI and Beyond
The Official NBA Injury Report will likely list Dončić as Doubtful or Questionable for Saturday’s road game in Portland. If the MRI reveals structural damage, the Lakers face a daunting stretch without their primary engine.
With four losses in their last five games, the Lakers cannot afford a long term Luka Dončić injury. The front office, led by Rob Pelinka, is reportedly scouring the trade market for a secondary playmaker to alleviate the pressure on their Slovenian star before the February 5th trade deadline.
Key Takeaways
- MRI Scheduled: A Friday morning scan will provide the final Luka Dončić injury update regarding his back and groin.
- Depth Failure: The Lakers’ bench was outscored 30-9, a disparity that forced Dončić into high risk, high-usage minutes.
- Standings Impact: The Lakers have dropped 4 of 5, making the health of their superstar the only factor standing between them and a Play In tournament slide.
- Defensive Void: Charlotte’s 135 points marked the second worst defensive performance of the Lakers’ season, highlighting a lack of interior presence.
FAQ
Why did the Mavs trade Luka?
The Dallas Mavericks traded Luka Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers in a shocking move on February 1, 2025. The trade was essentially a culture reset for Dallas.
The Anthony Davis Factor: General Manager Nico Harrison was a huge advocate for Anthony Davis, believing that a dominant defensive anchor was more important for a championship than Luka’s high usage scoring.
Conditioning Concerns: There were persistent reports that the Mavericks’ front office was frustrated with Luka’s fitness levels (reportedly weighing up to 270 lbs at one point) and his preference for using his own medical team rather than the franchise’s staff.
Defensive Focus: The Mavs officially stated they wanted to move toward a defensive mindset, leading to the controversial swap for Davis.
Who scored 73 points in an NBA game?
Luka Dončić himself scored 73 points on January 26, 2024, in a game against the Atlanta Hawks.
This is currently tied for the fourth highest single game total in NBA history.
Other players who have hit or surpassed the 73 point mark include Wilt Chamberlain (who scored 100, 78, and 73 twice), Kobe Bryant (81), and David Thompson (73).
Is Luka Dončić actually 6-7?
Yes, 6-foot-7 (2.01 m) is his most commonly listed height in recent official profiles (including Britannica and The Ringer). However, height listings in the NBA can vary slightly:
Some sources, like Wikipedia and Basketball-Reference, list him at 6-foot-8.
The variance usually depends on whether the measurement was taken with or without shoes, but for all practical purposes, he is a 6’7 to 6’8 point forward.
What did Kim Kardashian say to Luka Dončić?
Since Luka moved to the Lakers, he has become a frequent topic in the Hollywood spotlight.
Social Media Buzz: In early 2025, Kim Kardashian reportedly posted an Instagram story asking, “Does anyone know when he will be playing? I want to meet him!” The Lip-Biting” Incident: In a more viral moment later in October 2025, she commented on a Lakers post about Luka saying, “I want to learn how to speak Slovenian,” accompanied by a lip biting emoji.
The Rejection: According to various social media reports and screenshots, Luka (who is engaged to Anamaria Goltes) reportedly responded with a simple, “No, please don’t,” before the exchange was deleted.
𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑷𝒖𝒍𝒔𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝑮𝒍𝒐𝒃𝒂𝒍 𝑨𝒇𝒇𝒂𝒊𝒓𝒔
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