The Los Angeles Lakers‘ worst nightmare came to fruition on Friday.
Luka Doncic will miss the remainder of the regular season with a Grade 2 left hamstring strain, the team announced.
Doncic’s playoff status is also uncertain, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania and Dave McMenamin.
He suffered the injury in Thursday’s loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Grade 2 hamstring strains sometimes require several weeks of recovery, but Doncic also has prior experience with hamstring issues. He missed four games right before the All-Star break with another left hamstring strain, but returned to the lineup after the break.
Doncic was having a great first full season in L.A., averaging a league-high 33.5 points, 7.7 rebounds and 8.3 assists on 47.6 per cent shooting.
He was named the NBA’s Western Conference player of the month for March after racking up 13 consecutive 30-point performances, including seven 40-point games.
The injury will cause Doncic to be ineligible for end-of-season awards as he will not hit the 65-game threshold. He was expected to be on the All-NBA first team, while also being an MVP candidate.
Doncic’s agent, Bill Duffy, announced they will apply for the “Extraordinary Circumstances Challenge” to the 65-game rule with the league. The 27-year-old missed two games earlier in the season due to the birth of his daughter.
“Luka has gone to great lengths to show up for his team and this league this season,” Duffy wrote in a statement. “His record-breaking season deserves to be noted in the history books, despite last night’s unfortunate injury and other extraordinary circumstances. We look forward to working with the NBAPA and the league office to ensure a fair outcome in this matter.”
The Lakers are third in the Western Conference with a 50-27 record. They have just five games left before the postseason.
– With files from The Associated Press
Bengali (Bangladesh) · 
English (United States) ·