Lakers fans are hoping this is not as bad as it first looked.
In the third quarter of the Thunder blowing out the Lakers by more than 30, Luka Doncic tried to drive on Jalen Williams, pulled up sharply for what looked to be a jumper, but then instantly dropped the ball, grabbing his hamstring in pain. After being on the ground for a minute, he limped directly to the locker room under his own power, but was very emotional about the injury.
The Lakers soon confirmed Doncic would not return to the game. He will get an MRI on Friday, according to the team.
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Doncic has played at an MVP-level this season — he scored 600 points in March alone and turned the Lakers into a threat in the West — but he has played in 64 games this season. If this is a hamstring strain that sidelines him until the playoffs, he would not be eligible for any postseason awards under the NBA’s 65-game rule (which has already knocked Anthony Edwards out of award eligibility and will do the same to Cade Cunningham).
The NBA playoffs are 16 days away. Whether Doncic would be out that long depends on the severity of the strain, but it’s not uncommon for players to be out three weeks or more with a serious strain.
Doncic has felt hamstring soreness going back to before the All-Star Game, and in February he had an MRI on his left hamstring, which did not show anything that sidelined him.
This season Doncic has averaged 33.8 points, 7.8 rebounds and 8.3 assists per game. The Lakers have a -1.3 net rating when he is off the court this season.