The Los Angeles Lakers received more bad news on Sunday as point guard Gabe Vincent was ruled out after rolling his left ankle early in the third quarter. Vincent was later seen in a walking boot, raising concerns about the severity of the injury, though X-rays came back clean, offering a small measure of relief.
The timing couldn’t be worse for a Lakers team already missing LeBron James and Luka Doncic. Doncic, who had been off to a hot start this season, is sidelined with a left finger sprain and a lower left leg contusion, expected to keep him out for at least a week.
Vincent had been thrust into the starting lineup to provide ball-handling, defensive toughness, and outside shooting in the absence of the team’s stars. His injury occurred while chasing a Sacramento Kings player and colliding with teammate Deandre Ayton, forcing him to exit the game immediately and sit out the remainder.
The Lakers now face the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday night to complete their back-to-back, but the team will have to navigate the contest without Vincent and their marquee players.
