Luka Doncic Diagnosed With Hamstring Strain, Latest Updates on Lakers Star's Injury, Return Timeline
Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Dončić is sidelined indefinitely with a Grade 2 left hamstring injury, the team announced Friday, per NBA insider Marc Stein.
Dončić will miss the rest of the regular season and his status beyond that is uncertain, according to ESPN's Shams Charania. He will no longer qualify for the NBA's end-of-season awards.
Dončić exited Thursday night's game against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the third quarter after suffering what appeared to be an injury while pulling up to take a shot over Jalen Williams.
He grabbed at the back of his left leg and collapsed to the ground, where he remained for several minutes before limping off the court.
Dončić had recorded 12 points on 3-for-10 shooting with four rebounds, seven assists and six turnovers prior to exiting the game. The Lakers were trailing by 32 points at the time.
Back in February, Dončić missed four games with a left hamstring strain. He has also been sidelined this season with ankle, groin, leg, knee and finger injuries.
Heading into Thursday, Dončić had paced all NBA players with 33.8 points per game through 63 contests in his first full season with the Lakers.
He was shooting 47.7 percent from the field and 36.8 percent from deep while taking the most field goal and three-pointer attempts in the NBA.
With Dončić sidelined, Austin Reaves could take on a larger workload as Marcus Smart gets more time in the backcourt.
The Lakers have five games remaining in the regular season after Thursday night's matchup with the Thunder, starting with a Sunday away game against Cooper Flagg and the Dallas Mavericks.
A strong end to the regular season will be key to beating out the Denver Nuggets for the No. 3 seed in the West.
The biggest concern for the Lakers will be the quickly approaching postseason. The chemistry between Dončić, Reaves and LeBron James has been key to the Lakers' success down the stretch, and getting Dončić back in time for the playoffs would be crucial for a deep run.
The Lakers are set to wrap up the regular season on April 12, followed by the start of the NBA playoffs on April 18.
