Injuries appear to be hitting all the big names across the NBA in the early going of the 2026-27 season.

Los Angeles Lakers superstar Luka Doncic has been ruled out of Wednesday’s showdown against the Los Angeles Clippers with back tightness, the team announced.

The game against the Clippers comes on the second half of a back-to-back after the Lakers lost 136-129 to the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday, and the decision to keep him out could be more precautionary than not.

Doncic, 27, has been on a scoring tear to start the season, averaging a league-leading 36 points on 48.4 per cent shooting from the field and 39.6 per cent from three-point range, along with 6.8 rebounds and 8.3 assists per game.

The Lakers have gotten off to a strong start with Doncic at the wheel, opening the season with wins over the Golden State Warriors, Clippers and Utah Jazz, before losing Tuesday’s game against Portland.