Every Los Angeles Lakers fan collectively held their breath when Luka Doncic came down awkwardly and hit the floor on a 3-point attempt in the fourth quarter during the team's decisive 123-112 win over the Milwaukee Bucks. JJ Redick did not sound too nervous about his franchise superstar.
"Luka, I think, is fine. Just a light tweak," Redick said.
It was confusing to many as to why Doncic went back out there during the fourth quarter in the first place. The Lakers had a comfortable lead over Bucks and were well on their way to their seventh straight victory. That came down to a matter of circumstances more than anything.
Redick explained that Doncic would not have been out there had it not been for the dust-ups Collin Sexton and Austin Reaves also suffered in this game. That left the Lakers coach with very little choice but to send his MVP frontrunner back out there.
Redick added: "Not having Collin, not having AR, you put Luka back in. You are going to play him for two minutes. He’s either going to keep the lead or build the lead, and he tweaks his ankle."
Luka Doncic sounds fine if JJ Redick is to be believed, but caution is important
Redick has seen leads evaporate before. This month's outing against the Toronto Raptors was an excellent example of a game looking wrapped up before his reserves gave it away and invited the main crew back into the matchup. It looked like JJ wanted to avoid that fate.
The process of trying to do so did provide one hell of a scare, though.
Former Laker Kyle Kuzma did not give Doncic the space needed to land properly, and the way Luka's ankle hit the court gave everyone an uncomfortable feeling amid the And-1 opportunity. Many had immediate flashbacks to the Oklahoma City Thunder matchup from last season when the Lakers lost both of their backcourt stars to injuries.
Luka Doncic says he'll be fine after the injury scare with his right ankle: pic.twitter.com/wiZbnLTRPo
— Khobi Price (@khobi_price) November 12, 2026
Thankfully, the initial prognosis here is not anything like that. Even Doncic came out after the game and said he was 'good.'
With an easy upcoming schedule, the Lakers can certainly afford to give Luka any extra time off that he needs. They do not play again until Sunday against the Phoenix Suns. After that, they will face off against the Charlotte Hornets, Utah Jazz, and Sacramento Kings.
None of those teams are exactly world-beaters. Perhaps the Lakers' supporting cast would be able to step up in Doncic's absence again. Otherwise, you trade a short-term loss (or two) for long-term comfort. Either way, if there is any added concern here, cautiousness is the best approach.
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