With Dončić sidelined due to injury along with almost 60% of the total Laker payroll against the Sacramento Kings on Sunday, Austin Reaves exploded for the best game of his career: 51 points, 11 rebounds, nine assists and a badly-needed 127-120 victory with Dončić set to miss at least a week.

The Los Angeles Lakers were dealt a major setback on Sunday as superstar Luka Dončić was diagnosed with a sprained left finger and lower leg contusion that will keep him sidelined for at least a week, according to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin.

After a summer spent getting into top shape, excelling at EuroBasket and settling into Los Angeles, Dončić has become the fourth player in NBA history to begin a season with back-to-back 40-point performances — and he barely missed a triple-double twice, too.

The Lakers will rely more heavily on Dončić in the early going with LeBron James on the shelf due to sciatica. James is reportedly targeting a mid-November season debut, which gives Dončić about a month of runway as the unquestioned leader of the Lakers' lineup.

Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Dončić will miss at least one week due to a left finger sprain and a lower left leg contusion, according to ESPN's Shams Charania.

Lakers star Luka Dončić injury has him ruled out for Sunday's matchup with the Kings. He will be re-evaluated in 1 week.

The latest on the Lakers: optimistic news for Luka Dončić's injuries. Find out what it means for the team's future.

Injury update: Luka Dončić questionable for matchup against Sacramento originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The major storyline is Luka Dončić guiding the Lakers to a dominant win over a top-tier foe in the Western Conference, dispatching Minnesota by a final margin of 128-110. However, the Slovenian’s individual excellence is to be marveled at: