Doncic injury, risk of long absence and MVP goodbye
Luka Doncic goes down again: a hamstring injury puts both his season and his MVP chances at risk, along with the Los Angeles Lakers’ playoff outlook
A night to forget for the Lakers, blown out 139–96 by the Oklahoma City Thunder, but the bigger concern goes far beyond the result: Doncic’s left hamstring injury.
The Slovenian star left the game in the third quarter after feeling pain in the same area that had already been an issue earlier in the season. Now all eyes are on the tests: an MRI is scheduled to determine the severity of the injury.
Luka Doncic’s injury
The first warning sign came late in the first half, but things worsened in the third quarter. Isolated against Jalen Williams, Doncic planted his left foot while dribbling: the muscle gave out, forcing him to stop immediately.
Wearing number 77, he bent over in pain before lying down courtside with his hands covering his face during a timeout – a scene that silenced the Lakers bench.
Despite everything, Doncic managed to walk back to the locker room on his own, though clearly in pain and frustrated.
JJ Redick’s words and recovery timeline
From the coaching staff came an initial cautious update:
We checked him out, he got worked on, he was cleared… We’re not gonna put a player at risk
JJ Redick
The key factor remains the severity of the strain. In similar cases, recovery timelines can vary:
- Grade I: 1–2 weeks
- Grade II: 3–6 weeks
An important detail: it’s the same hamstring that was already injured earlier in the season, when Doncic missed several games before the All-Star break.
Impact on MVP and season awards
The injury comes at the worst possible moment. Doncic was coming off an outstanding March, posting MVP-level numbers:
- 37.5 points
- 8.0 rebounds
- 7.4 assists
- 2.3 steals
Performances that earned him Western Conference Player of the Month honors.
But the most crucial number is another: the game against the Thunder was his 64th of the season. To be eligible for NBA awards, players must reach 65 games. With only five games remaining, a prolonged absence would automatically eliminate him from the MVP race.
Lakers in trouble: playoff concerns as well
Beyond the individual implications, there’s the team outlook. The Lakers were coming off a near-perfect March (15–2), but the collapse against the defending champions raises serious questions.
Without Doncic at full strength, title ambitions become fragile. And if the injury sidelines him for an extended period, the final stretch of the season could take a completely different turn.