Lakers list Luka Doncic as questionable for Pistons matchup

Luka Doncic just scored 53 points. Whether he gets a chance to follow that up Sunday is now in question.

The Lakers listed Doncic as questionable with back tightness for their road game against the Pistons, as Ryan Ward of Lakers On SI reported.

Doncic is coming off his highest-scoring performance of the season, helping the Lakers beat the Trail Blazers on Friday for their fourth straight victory and eighth win overall.

Now they head to Detroit with some uncertainty surrounding the player driving much of that success.

Questionable leaves open the possibility that Doncic will play. Still, his availability becomes the biggest thing to watch as the Lakers prepare for a difficult road assignment.

With Doncic, they can lean on a star who’s been finding his scoring rhythm and forcing defenses to adjust. Without him, somebody else has to create those opportunities, and the Lakers have to find enough offense to keep their momentum going.

They’ve received useful contributions around him, including Walker Kessler’s work as a finisher and interior presence. That support has helped give the Lakers reasons to feel good about their start.

But replacing what Doncic supplies would be a considerably bigger assignment.

For JJ Redick, Sunday’s preparation comes with two possibilities. The Lakers will hope their leading scorer feels well enough to make the decision easy.