Lakers fans are hoping this is not as bad as it first looked.
In the third quarter on Thursday, with the Thunder blowing out the Lakers by more than 30, Luka Doncic tried to drive on Jalen Williams, pulled up sharply for what looked to be a jumper, but then instantly dropped the ball, grabbing his hamstring in pain. After being on the ground for a minute, he limped directly to the locker room under his own power, but was very emotional about the injury.
Luka Dončić goes down due to hamstring injury pic.twitter.com/jYIui353RK
— MrBuckBuck (@MrBuckBuckNBA) April 3, 2026
The Lakers soon confirmed Doncic would not return to the game. He will get an MRI on Friday.
Doncic appeared to tweak his hamstring in the first half, but coach JJ Redick said his star was checked out and cleared to play in the second half.
Doncic has played at an MVP-level this season — he scored 600 points in March alone and turned the Lakers into a threat in the West. Doncic has averaged a league-leading 33.8 points per game, while adding 7.8 rebounds and 8.3 assists a night.
Doncic has played in 64 games — one shy of the NBA’s 65-game rule, and he would not be eligible for any postseason awards if he cannot return to the court for another game. (Note: This is corrected from what was previously in this story. I had misread the CBA language on late-season injuries and eligibility.) The controversial 65-game rule has already knocked Anthony Edwards out of award eligibility and will do the same to Cade Cunningham.
The NBA playoffs are 16 days away. Whether Doncic would be out into the postseason depends on the severity of the strain: A Grade 1 strain usually keeps players out for a week or two. However, if it is a Grade 2 strain, he is likely out for at least three weeks, and maybe closer to a month.
Doncic injured the same hamstring before the season, missed four games because of it during the season, and has had on-and-off hamstring soreness since going back to before the All-Star Game. In February, he had an MRI on his left hamstring, which did not show anything that sidelined him.
The Lakers have a -1.3 net rating when Doncic is off the court this season.
Oklahoma City was in control of this showdown of two top-three teams in the West from the opening tip and went on to win 139-96.
