Fri Mar 21 02:00:00 UTC 2025: ## Lakers Star Dončić Out Against Bucks Amidst Injury Crisis

**LOS ANGELES –** The Los Angeles Lakers will be without star Luka Dončić for their game against the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday, as he continues to recover from a sprained right ankle. The absence comes on the second night of a back-to-back and concludes a grueling eight-day stretch where the Lakers played six games – a unique scheduling burden stemming from a postponed game in January.

Dončić, despite the ankle injury, managed 31 points, 8 rebounds, and 7 assists in Wednesday’s win against the Denver Nuggets before sitting out the Bucks game. The Lakers’ record during this demanding stretch stands at 3-2.

The injury woes extend beyond Dončić. LeBron James (groin), Rui Hachimura (knee), Austin Reaves (ankle), and possibly Dorian Finney-Smith (ankle) and Jarred Vanderbilt (groin) are also sidelined against Milwaukee.

With 14 games left in the regular season and currently sitting third in the Western Conference, the Lakers’ focus now shifts beyond playoff seeding. Forward Jarred Vanderbilt emphasized the team’s primary goal: getting healthy and building chemistry before the playoffs. “Getting healthy, that would be No. 1,” Vanderbilt stated. “Getting rest with this stretch. And try to get some reps together. The main thing is getting healthy so we can try to keep building our chemistry.”

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