Luka Doncic (hamstring) to pursue specialized care in Europe

Following discussions with the medical staff of the Los Angeles Lakers and his personal medical team, Luka Doncic will pursue specialized medical care in Europe for his Grade 2 left hamstring strain in an effort to accelerate his recovery, as reported by his agent, Bill Duffy of WME Basketball, to ESPN’s Shams Charania and Dave McMenamin on Sunday.

Doncic sustained the injury during the third quarter of the Lakers’ 139-96 defeat against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday. He underwent an MRI in Dallas on Friday afternoon, which confirmed the severity of the strain, leading the team to announce that he would be out of action at least until the conclusion of the regular season.

A Grade 2 strain generally requires about a month for recovery. The Lakers did not specify a timeline for Doncic’s return beyond the fact that he will miss the last five games of the regular season, with the first round of the NBA playoffs set to commence on April 18.