Is Luka Doncic playing tonight vs the Houston Rockets? Latest update on the Los Angeles Lakers star’s injury report (December 25, 2025) | NBA News
Luka Doncic is still listed as questionable for the Los Angeles Lakers’ Christmas Day game against the Houston Rockets. The game tips off December 25 at Crypto.com Arena, and his status remains the biggest unknown heading into the night.Doncic, now with the Lakers after his time in Dallas, did not play in the recent loss to Phoenix. The team has not ruled him out, and there is growing belief he could return, but no final decision has been made. The Lakers are treating it as a true game-time call.
Luka Doncic’s injury status vs the Houston Rockets (December 25, 2025)
The issue began on December 20 against the Clippers. Luka Doncic took a knee to the left calf from Bogdan Bogdanović and left the game at halftime. He did not return. The soreness carried over, leading the Los Angeles Lakers to sit him out of Tuesday’s 132–108 loss to the Suns.During practice this week, Doncic was seen with heavy wrapping on his lower left leg. After the Suns game, head coach JJ Redick said he was day-to-day. Since then, reports have indicated that Doncic has been able to get work in and test the leg, with some updates earlier in the day briefly shifting his outlook toward probable.
Latest injury report for both Los Angeles Lakers and Houston Rockets (December 25, 2025)
The NBA’s official injury report from 11:15 a.m. ET lists Doncic as questionable with a lower left leg contusion. Jaxson Hayes is also questionable due to a left ankle injury. Rui Hachimura is listed as probable with a right groin issue. Gabe Vincent has been ruled out with a lumbar back strain.Houston has its own concerns. Fred VanVleet is out for the season with a torn right ACL. Alperen Şengün is questionable with left calf tightness, which could significantly affect the Rockets if he cannot play.
Los Angeles Lakers vs Houston Rockets game setup and what’s at stake (December 25, 2025)
The game tips off at 8 p.m. ET and will air on ABC and ESPN, with streaming options available. The Los Angeles Lakers enter at 19-9 but have lost two straight games without Luka Doncic. The Rockets are 17–10 and come in as slight favorites.Doncic is averaging 34.1 points, 8.8 assists, and 8.6 rebounds on 45.8 percent shooting this season. When he plays, the Lakers’ offense runs through him, even alongside LeBron James. Without him, their margin for error shrinks.
What to watch before tipoff
Online discussion picked up once reports suggested Luka Doncic might be close to returning, but nothing is official yet. Betting lines and prop numbers are expected to move once his status is confirmed.If Doncic is cleared, the matchup looks very different. If not, the Los Angeles Lakers will again need to find scoring and control against a Houston team built on defense. The final answer will come shortly before tipoff.
