Luka Doncic is basically the engine of the Los Angeles Lakers right now, but honestly, checking the box score every morning to see if he actually suited up has become a bit of a ritual for fans. You've probably noticed the headlines. One day he’s dropping 40, and the next, there’s a "questionable" tag next to his name because of a calf or a groin tweak. It’s a lot to keep track of, especially with the Lakers trying to manage a roster that features both Luka and a 41-year-old LeBron James.
So, let's get right to the number everyone is hunting for. Luka Doncic has played in 31 games so far this 2025-26 NBA season.
This count is current as of mid-January 2026. Out of the Lakers' first 36 games, Luka has been on the floor for 31 of them. If you’re doing the math, that means he’s missed 5 games total. For a guy who plays with the physical intensity and high usage rate that Luka does, being available for roughly 86% of the schedule isn't half bad. But when you look closer at when those misses happened, a clearer picture of the Lakers' strategy—and Luka's health—starts to emerge.
Luka Played This Season: Breaking Down the Absences
It hasn't been a perfectly smooth ride. Most of his time off happened in December. At one point, Luka was sidelined with a left calf contusion that felt like it might linger. He missed a high-profile matchup against the Phoenix Suns and was a true game-time decision for the Christmas Day showcase against the Rockets.
Honestly, the Lakers are in a weird spot. They need Luka to win, obviously. He's leading the league in scoring at 33.4 points per game. But they also can't afford to run him into the ground before the playoffs even start.
Lately, things have been a bit more "day-to-day." Just this week, before the game against Atlanta on January 13, Luka was listed as questionable again. He ended up playing 33 minutes and dishing out 12 assists in a blowout win, but he admitted afterward that he’s been "tweaking" some soft tissue issues during pregame warmups. It’s that classic Luka bravado—he’ll play through a lot, but the Lakers' medical staff is definitely watching him like a hawk.
A Quick Look at the Game Logs
If you want to see how he's been trending, look at his January stretch. It’s been high-volume everything.
- Jan 13 vs ATL: 27 pts, 12 ast (W)
- Jan 12 @ SAC: 42 pts, 8 ast (L)
- Jan 9 vs MIL: 24 pts, 9 reb (L)
- Jan 7 @ SAS: 38 pts, 10 reb, 10 ast (L)
- Jan 6 @ NOP: 30 pts, 10 ast (W)
He's played five games in about eight days. That’s a heavy workload for anyone, let alone someone who's openly talking about minor injuries. The 42-point explosion against Sacramento was particularly bittersweet because he looked unstoppable, yet the team still fell short. It shows you just how much weight is on his shoulders every single night.
The "New Look" Lakers Context
You can't talk about how many games Luka played this season without mentioning the Anthony Davis trade that changed everything. Last year, the NBA world was rocked when Luka moved to LA and AD headed to Dallas. This 2025-26 season is the first full year where the Luka-LeBron experiment is the primary focus of the league.
Because LeBron is playing on an expiring deal and taking more back-to-back games off, Luka has become the de facto "Iron Man" of the team. Interestingly, Luka’s shooting splits have shifted since joining the Lakers. He’s taking more threes and getting to the line more often than he did in his final Dallas days. He’s currently shooting about 79% from the charity stripe, which is a nice bump from his career averages.
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Why Availability Matters More This Year
Google is full of people asking about Luka's game count because of the new NBA player participation rules. To be eligible for end-of-season awards like MVP or All-NBA, players generally need to hit that 65-game threshold.
At 31 games played out of 36, Luka is well on track. He can afford to miss another 11 games over the remaining 46 and still qualify. For a guy who is a perennial MVP candidate, that cushion is vital. If he stays on this pace, he’ll finish the season with about 70-71 games played. That’s usually the "sweet spot" for superstars in the modern era.
What to Watch For Next
The Lakers have a brutal stretch coming up. They’ve got a massive game against the Golden State Warriors on January 22, and then the one everyone has circled: Luka’s return to Dallas on January 24.
The Mavericks didn't schedule his return for Christmas, opting instead to put it in "Rivals Week." You can bet everything that Luka wants to be 100% healthy for that game at the American Airlines Center. If he's going to take a night off for "load management," it’ll likely be one of the games leading up to that Dallas trip.
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Actionable Insights for Fans and Fantasy Owners:
- Monitor the "Questionable" tags: Luka is currently dealing with a lingering groin/thigh issue. If he’s listed as questionable for the first half of a back-to-back, expect him to sit.
- The 65-game mark: Keep an eye on his total. He’s at 31 now. He needs 34 more to stay in the MVP race.
- Efficiency over volume: While he’s scoring a ton, his turnovers have been a bit high (4.6 per game). If he starts looking sluggish, it’s a sign the Lakers might force a rest day on him soon.
Basically, Luka is playing a lot—probably more than the Lakers' doctors would ideally like—but he's producing at an all-time level. Just keep your notifications on for those 1:30 PM injury reports.
Check the Lakers' official injury report two hours before tip-off for the most accurate status on his soft-tissue "tweaks."