Luka Doncic to Miss Remaining Regular Season with Hamstring Injury
Luka Doncic, the NBA’s top scorer and key player for the Los Angeles Lakers, will miss the rest of the regular season due to a grade two strain of his left hamstring. The team confirmed the injury after an MRI scan revealed its severity. Doncic sustained the injury during a blowout loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday, marking a significant setback for the Lakers as they prepare for the playoffs.
The Pacific Division champion Lakers (50-27) have just five games remaining before the postseason begins. Their next game is scheduled for Monday in Dallas. This injury comes at a critical time, as Doncic has been instrumental in leading the team to the third spot in the Western Conference standings.
Grade two hamstring strains typically require several weeks of recovery, and Doncic has prior experience with similar injuries. He previously missed four games before the All-Star break due to another left hamstring strain but returned to action after the break. His performance this season has been nothing short of spectacular, as he averages 33.5 points, 8.3 assists, and 7.7 rebounds per game.
Doncic was named the NBA’s Western Conference Player of the Month for March after achieving 13 consecutive 30-point performances, including seven 40-point games. Notably, he scored 51 points against Chicago and delivered a 60-point performance in Miami. In March alone, he accumulated 600 points, becoming only the 10th player in NBA history to reach that milestone in a single month.
His contributions have been vital to the Lakers’ success, as he either scored or assisted on 58% of the team’s total points in March. Doncic is expected to win his second NBA scoring title, but he has played in only 64 games this season, falling one game short of the 65-game threshold required for eligibility for the NBA’s biggest postseason awards.
He was a strong candidate for All-NBA selection and had even made a late push for the MVP award with his outstanding play down the stretch. However, his absence from the court due to injuries and other factors has impacted his chances. Doncic missed two games last December for the birth of his second child and one game last week under suspension for accumulating 16 technical fouls.
Since he is just shy of the 65-game threshold, there is a possibility of challenging the rule through a grievance process, citing the extraordinary circumstances of his daughter’s birth in Europe. However, it remains unclear whether such an appeal would be successful.
If Doncic wins the scoring title but does not make the All-NBA teams, he would be only the third scoring champion in league history to fail to do so. Elvin Hayes was not selected when he won the crown as a rookie in 1969, and Bob McAdoo was not chosen for the teams in 1976.
Lakers coach JJ Redick mentioned that Doncic was injured in the first half against the Thunder but was cleared to return to the game while his team was getting defeated by the defending NBA champion Thunder. Doncic lasted only about four minutes before he spun, stopped, and went down on the court in pain, leading to his departure.
The loss was only the Lakers’ third in 19 games since February 26, but Doncic’s absence casts a cloud of uncertainty over the rest of their year. Los Angeles only leads fourth-place Denver (49-28) by one game, while sixth-place Minnesota (46-30) is 3 1/2 games back with a game in hand.
The Lakers’ regular-season finale is scheduled for next Monday (AEDT), April 13, at home against Utah. Their first-round playoff series is expected to start the following weekend.
