Lakers’ Doncic sidelined due to hamstring injury for remainder of regular season

LOS ANGELES — Luka Doncic will be sidelined for the remainder of the Los Angeles Lakers’ regular season due to a Grade 2 strain of his left hamstring, as announced by the team on Friday.

Doncic, the leading scorer in the NBA and a key contributor to the Lakers’ rise to the third position in the Western Conference standings, sustained the injury during Los Angeles’ significant defeat to Oklahoma City on Thursday. An MRI confirmed the extent of the strain.

The Lakers (50-27) have only five games remaining before the playoffs, beginning Sunday against Dallas.

Grade 2 hamstring strains can necessitate several weeks of rehabilitation, and Doncic has a history of hamstring problems. He missed four games just prior to the All-Star break due to another left hamstring strain but made a return to the team following the break.

Doncic is delivering impressive statistics in his first complete season with the Lakers, who acquired the Slovenian star from the Mavericks last season. He is averaging 33.5 points, 8.3 assists, and 7.7 rebounds per game for Los Angeles, and he was recognized as the NBA’s Western Conference player of the month for March after achieving 13 consecutive 30-point games, including seven games with 40 points or more.

Lakers coach JJ Redick mentioned that Doncic was injured in the first half against the Thunder but was initially cleared to continue playing. However, he lasted only about four minutes before he spun, halted, and fell to the court in discomfort, resulting in his exit from the game.