It's tough to imagine how the first half could have played out any worse for the Los Angeles Lakers in a must-win Game 5 against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday night. Not only did L.A. come out flat, letting the Wolves once again act the aggressors on their home court, but things went from bad to desperate when Luka Dončić was forced to leave the game late in the first half with an apparent back injury.
With just a minute to go in the second quarter, Dončić drove toward the basket looking to cut into Minnesota's eight-point lead. He was met hard by both Rudy Gobert and Donte DiVincenzo, and DiVincenzo's contest in particular yanked Dončić's upper body backward in awkward fashion.
Dončić immediately grabbed for his lower back, laying on the court for an extended period of time before eventually being removed from the game. After being examined on the sideline, he and a member of the Lakers training staff quickly made their way back to the locker room ahead of halftime.
Luka Dončić returns after exiting with back injury
After spending the halftime break getting treatment, Dončić is back on the court to start the third quarter. Although it didn't sound like a sure thing, as the TNT broadcast mentioned that both JJ Redick and LeBron James both appeared to be looking down the Lakers tunnel trying to see whether Dončić would be making his way onto the floor.
He did indeed, sporting a fresh tape job on his lower back. It remains to be seen just how limited Dončić might be, but the Lakers will need him to be as close to 100 percent as possible if they're going to hold off a hellacious Wolves team. Dončić was already struggling in this series against a faster, stronger, more athletic opponent, and that continued early in Game 5 — especially on the defensive end.