Following a disastrous two and a half quarters versus the Oklahoma City Thunder, fans' optimism for a Los Angeles Lakers' title run likely declined to some degree, but it plummeted by the end of the game. NBA leading scorer Luka Doncic sustained a left hamstring injury in the third and did not return for the remainder of the game. When a premium player is kept out of a blowout, the reason is sometimes precautionary. This was not the case on Thursday, however.
Doncic was in immediate pain, giving the entire fandom a powerful case of heartburn. A 139-96 road loss to the defending NBA champions stings, but the possibility of losing one of the most dominant offensive forces in the league is devastating. He will have an MRI on Friday. The basketball-watching world is already preparing for some bad news, though.
A certified athletic trainer provided the public with a general recovery timeline for players who suffer similar injuries. “This season the average time lost for nondescript hamstring strains in the NBA has been ~22 days (~9 games),” Jeff Stotts posted on X. “That’s higher than the historical averages of 12.1 days (~5 games).”
Assuming this trend holds true for Luka Doncic, the Lakers superstar will miss the final five games of the regular season. His status for the NBA playoffs, which tip off on April 18, would also come with a question mark. The 27-year-old guard will do everything in his power to return for those must-win games, but this injury can be unpredictable and unforgiving.
Doncic is averaging 33.8 points, 8.3 assists, 7.8 rebounds and 1.7 steals per game while shooting 47.7 percent from the field and 36.8 percent from behind the 3-point line. If he is unable to log at least 20 minutes of another regular season contest, the five-time First-Team All-NBA selection will fall one game short of qualifying for end-of-year awards.
Even more brutal, though, a promising Lakers campaign could now meet a cruel and unceremonious end. Doncic, the locker room and the fan base can only hope for some unexpected luck.
