Luka Doncic’s Illness Impacts Lakers in Game 3 Loss to Timberwolves

MINNEAPOLIS — Luka Doncic struggled in Game 3 of the NBA playoffs on Friday, partially due to a stomach ailment that plagued him the day before. Doncic vomited throughout the afternoon leading up to tipoff, as revealed by Lakers coach J.J. Redick.

Despite averaging 34 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists in the first two games of the series, Doncic managed only 17 points on 6-for-16 shooting. He also recorded seven rebounds, eight assists, and five turnovers in the game. ‘Obviously, with his illness, it impacts our team,’ said LeBron James, who led the Lakers with 38 points—the most scored in NBA postseason history by a player over age 40.

Sources indicated that Doncic experienced an upset stomach and chills on Thursday, which affected his sleep. Following treatment from the Lakers’ medical staff after the game, Doncic did not speak to reporters. He attended shootaround Friday morning but still felt unwell after a brief nap.

Doncic’s struggles were evident from the onset. While he averaged 16 points in the first quarter of previous games, he only scored two points on 1-for-6 shooting in the first quarter of Game 3. Observing him on the bench, Lakers forward Dorian Finney-Smith expressed doubt about Doncic’s ability to return for the second half. ‘He looked a little pale today. He probably needs to hydrate some more,’ Finney-Smith said. ‘But Luka’s tough.’

In the second half, Doncic scored nine points on 3-for-7 shooting and contributed five rebounds and three assists, but also made three turnovers. James remarked, ‘He gave it everything he had tonight and played 39, 40 minutes, did everything he could do to help us win.’

The Timberwolves closed out the game with a decisive 13-1 run, taking a 2-1 lead in the series. The Lakers struggled with ball security, committing 19 turnovers that allowed Minnesota to score 28 points off those mistakes. ‘In the postseason, obviously you’re not going to play a perfect game,’ James acknowledged. ‘But the more that you make mistakes on top of mistakes…it’s not going to give you an opportunity to be in the best possible chance to win.’

With Game 4 scheduled for Sunday at 2:30 p.m. local time, Redick expressed hope that Doncic would feel better in time. ‘Hopefully, whatever’s going on, he’s feeling better on Sunday,’ he said. ‘I mean, I can’t diagnose him. I’m not a doctor.’