Luka Doncic Suffers Left Hamstring Injury During Lakers’ Tough Loss to Thunder
Luka Doncic Set for MRI Following Hamstring Injury
In a concerning development for the Los Angeles Lakers, star guard Luka Doncic is scheduled to undergo an MRI on Friday to assess the severity of a hamstring injury sustained during Thursday night’s game against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Coach JJ Redick confirmed the news after the Lakers’ 139-97 loss.
Doncic experienced a hamstring issue in the first half and received treatment during halftime, according to Redick. Despite returning briefly to the game, Doncic’s condition worsened, leading him to exit for good with 7:39 left in the third quarter after he appeared to be in significant distress.
"We checked him out, he got work done, he was cleared," Redick stated.
The injury occurred as Doncic attempted a shot against Oklahoma City’s Jalen Williams. Although there was no contact, Doncic stopped mid-play and lay down on the floor in pain. Redick acknowledged the unpredictable nature of injuries, remarking, "Those things happen."
Williams, who has dealt with his own injury struggles this season, expressed sympathy for Doncic. "It’s very, like, spooky in a way to see it happen to him, and I’m the one guarding him," he said. Williams chose not to capitalize on the situation, allowing the ball to go out of bounds to give the Lakers time to respond. “That injury sucks. So I wish him a speedy recovery. Hope it’s not anything serious,” he added.
The match was particularly tough for Doncic, as he had been on a scoring spree, recording at least 40 points in five of his previous seven games. However, he was limited to just 12 points on 3-for-10 shooting against the relentless Thunder defense.
Lakers forward Jake LaRavia expressed concern over Doncic’s injury, saying, “I mean, it’s something you never want to see as a teammate. So especially in a game like this, it was tough to see him go down.”
Adding to the Lakers’ woes, guard Austin Reaves also sustained a back injury during the game but continued to play before sitting out the fourth quarter as the team faced a significant deficit. Redick explained, “He was in a weird position, stretching for a basketball, loose ball. He just felt something intercostal, somewhere in his back, in between the ribs. He was able to play through it … we’ll see how he feels tomorrow.”
The Lakers are set to host a rematch against the Thunder on April 7, as they navigate these challenges and seek to recover from a tough loss.
