Luka Dončić Adresses Groin Injury Concerns After Lakers' Season-Opening Loss

Dončić appeared to reach for the inside of his leg in the waning moments of Los Angeles's loss.

Dončić joined Kobe Bryant and Elgin Baylor as the only Lakers players to score 40-plus points in a season opener in the Lakers' 119-109 loss. / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Luka Dončić handled a big workload in the Lakers' season-opening 119-109 loss to the Warriors on Tuesday night, as the Slovenian superstar scored 43 points while adding 12 rebounds and nine assists in a game-high 41 minutes of floor time. And in the waning moments of the contest, it appeared as if Dončić had tweaked something.

The Lakers star was seen grabbing at his inner leg near his groin while grimacing as if he was in pain. But Dončić didn't seem concerned about a potential injury after the game.

"It's probably nothing," Dončić said. "Just felt it a little bit because my hip went [the opposite] way. Felt it a little bit, but it's probably nothing."

A potential Dončić injury would be the last thing Los Angeles, which will be without four-time NBA MVP LeBron James for the first month of the season as he deals with sciatica, needs, particularly considering that the club seemed to already miss James's presence.

"It's hard to forget about LeBron," Redick said after the game. "The reality is when you're focused on the group that you have, you gotta make that group work. So sometimes you can just be like, 'Oh, oh my god, we're going to get LeBron back. It's awesome.

"I'll be honest with you, I did have one moment in that first half when we had a few possessions we couldn't score against the zone it'd be great to have Lebron just to throw it to in the high post."

It was an uneven night offensively for the Lakers, who shot 54.5 percent from the field but struggled from beyond the arc and committed 20 turnovers.

Despite the offensive inconsistencies and the Lakers' inability to defend the three-point line, Dončić was encouraged by his efforts on the defensive end.

"I think I'm getting better on the defensive end, I'm just trying to get more involved, more communication [with his teammates]," Dončić said. "But overall, 41 minutes, so I like that."

And as for the groin, Dončić will now have two days off before the Lakers' next contest against the Timberwolves on Friday.

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