Luka Doncic leaves Lakers matchup against OKC due to hamstring injury.
OKLAHOMA CITY — Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Doncic left Thursday’s matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder prematurely due to a strained left hamstring and was subsequently ruled out.
Doncic seemed to aggravate the hamstring late in the first half and then re-injured it midway through the third quarter, leading him to bend over in discomfort and later lie down on the baseline with his hands over his face once L.A. called a timeout.
After his teammates gathered around to assess his condition, Doncic managed to walk to the Lakers’ locker room independently, though cautiously, with 7:39 left in the third quarter and L.A. behind 90-58.
The injury concluded what was already a challenging performance for Doncic, as he exited with 12 points on 3-for-10 shooting (1-for-7 from beyond the arc), along with 4 rebounds, 7 assists, and 6 turnovers.
During the 26 minutes Doncic was on the floor, the Lakers were outscored by 25 points.
Following a remarkable March in which the Lakers achieved a 15-2 record and Doncic earned the title of Western Conference Player of the Month for averaging 37.5 points, 8.0 rebounds, 7.4 assists, and 2.3 steals per game, the beginning of April proved to be a significant letdown for L.A.
In what was anticipated as a crucial late-season contest that could influence MVP voters still deliberating on their choices between Doncic and the reigning MVP, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the latter showcased his prowess, scoring 28 points, along with 7 rebounds, 7 assists, and only 1 turnover through the first three quarters.
At the same time, the Lakers’ prospects as title contenders in the forthcoming playoffs were questioned following their lackluster performance against the defending NBA champions.
