Is Luka Doncic playing tonight against the Denver Nuggets? Latest on Lakers superstar's availability (Mar. 19)

With LeBron James sidelined, LA Lakers All-Star Luka Doncic is expected to take on a bigger role in the coming week. The Slovenian superstar has struggled with injury issues, but is listed as probable and is expected to suit up for the game against the Denver Nuggets at the Crypto.com Arena on Wednesday.

Ryan Ward of Lakernation.com reported that Doncic is probable in a post on his X account on Tuesday.

Doncic has been dealing with a nagging right ankle sprain but featured in the Lakers win against the San Antonio Spurs on Monday. He played 34 minutes and finished with 21 points to guide Los Angeles to a 125-109 win for their second straight victory.

Prior to the game against San Antonio, Doncic also played 40 minutes against the Phoenix Suns on Sunday, putting together one his best games in a Lakers jersey. The 6-foot-6 guard finished with a game-high 33 points and 11 rebounds.

Luka Doncic did miss the game against the Denver Nuggets on Friday, so the Lakers may want to be cautious with his minutes to avoid any further setbacks.

Injuries have been a concern for Doncic throughout the season. During his time with the Dallas Mavericks, he missed a lengthy stretch of games due to a left calf strain. This season, Doncic has played just 22 games for Dallas and 15 for the Lakers. He has already missed five games since joining the Lakers after the trade in early February.

When healthy, Doncic remains one of the league's elite scorers. Over the 2023-24 campaign, he led the league with 33.9 ppg. This season, that figure has dropped to 27.4 ppg.

Lakers head coach JJ Redick has to deal with a lengthy injury list, as some of his key players are still in the process of recovering.

LeBron James is expected to be out at least another week with a groin injury. Rui Hachimura, who has started 50 games, is also out with a knee injury. Forward Maxi Kleber, who was part of the package in the Anthony Davis-Luka Doncic trade, is still sidelined. Center Trey Jemison III is questionable for Wednesday's game due to an illness.

Luka Doncic put up big numbers in his last outing versus the Nuggets

Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic reacts against the San Antonio Spurs in the first half at Crypto.com Arena. Photo Credit: Imagn

Overcoming a Nikola Jokic-led Denver Nuggets will not be an easy task for Luka Doncic and his teammates, but the Lakers will go into this game feeling confident. With Doncic on the court, anything is possible.

Doncic delivered a dazzling performances in his last outing against the Nuggets on Feb. 22. The Lakers marksman shot an impressive 10-of-22 from the field and was a perfect 8-for-8 from the free throw line.

He finished with a game-high 32 points and also contributed 10 rebounds and seven assists to lead his team to a 123-100 statement win over the 2023 NBA champions.