March could not have gone any better for Luka Doncic and the Los Angeles Lakers.
April could not have started any worse.
On Thursday night, April 2, the Lakers traveled to Oklahoma City to face the defending champion Thunder. Oklahoma City routed L.A., 139-96 — the largest loss the Lakers have suffered in more than two years (via Bleacher Report).
The more concerning loss was Doncic, who abruptly stopped while pulling up to shoot, grabbed his left hamstring, and hobbled off to the side. The NBA’s leading scorer appeared to be in obvious pain and crumpled to the ground. Covering his face with his jersey, Doncic left the game in the third quarter and did not return.
The news only got worse from there.
After the game, ESPN’s Dave McMenamin reported, “Luka Doncic will undergo an MRI on Friday to determine the extent of his left hamstring injury,” citing a source familiar with Doncic’s status.
McMenamin also wrote that the Lakers are staring at “possibly losing Luka Doncic for a period of time.”
Doncic was having a very un-Luka-like game before the injury. The All-NBA and All-Star guard shot 3-of-10 from the field, including 1-of-7 from three, for 12 points in 26 minutes. He also posted seven assists, four rebounds, and one steal.
Doncic was seen grabbing his left hamstring just before halftime, but Khobi Price reported that Lakers head coach JJ Redick said Doncic “was cleared to play” the rest of the game.
As alluded to, Doncic enjoyed a historic 17-game stretch in March. The Lakers went 15-2, including a nine-game winning streak, and Doncic became the third-youngest player to eclipse 15,000 career points.
During a six-game road trip last month, per McMenamin, Doncic became “the first player to average 40 points over a six-game span, all on the road, since Michael Jordan in 1986.” On March 19 in Miami, Doncic became the first Laker to score 60 in a game since the late great Kobe Bryant did it in his final game on April 13, 2016.
According to StatMuse, Doncic’s March is comparable only to Jordan, as they are the only NBA players in history to amass 500-plus points, 100-plus rebounds, 100-plus assists, and 35-plus steals in a single month.
Statistics that Lakers fans basked in mere hours ago to support why Doncic deserves to be the 2026 NBA MVP feel hollow as Doncic’s health hangs in the balance.
Doncic has averaged 33.8 points, 8.3 assists, 7.8 rebounds, and 1.7 steals in 63 games for the 50-27 Lakers. Doncic is a lock to win his second career NBA scoring title.
The last time Doncic was the scoring champion in 2024, he led the Dallas Mavericks to the 2024 NBA Finals, where the Boston Celtics defeated them in five games. Doncic would assuredly much rather win his first NBA championship this time around.
The Lakers only have five regular-season games remaining before the NBA playoffs start on April 18. A team previously peaking at just the right time now stares down the possibility of their hard-earned chemistry and shot at an NBA Finals run going up in smoke.
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