Luka Doncic exits Lakers’ game in OKC with hamstring strain

OKLAHOMA CITY — Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Doncic exited Thursday’s game in opposition to the Oklahoma City Thunder early due to a strained left hamstring and was dominated out.

Doncic first appeared to tweak the hamstring late in the primary half after which tweaked it once more halfway by the third quarter, inflicting him to double over in ache after which lie down on the baseline with his palms protecting his face as soon as LA known as timeout.

After teammates surrounded him to test on him, Doncic was in a position to stroll to the Lakers’ locker room on his personal, albeit gingerly, with 7:39 remaining in the third quarter and LA trailing 90-58.

The harm ended what was already a nightmarish efficiency by Doncic, as he checked out with 12 factors on 3-for-10 capturing (1-for-7 from 3), 4 rebounds, 7 assists and 6 turnovers.

The Lakers have been outscored by 25 in the 26 minutes Doncic was on the courtroom.

After a dream March throughout which the Lakers went 15-2 and Doncic was named Western Conference Player of the Month for averaging 37.5 factors, 8.0 rebounds, 7.4 assists and a pair of.3 steals per game, the begin to April was a serious disappointment on a number of ranges for LA

In what was billed as a late-season game that might sway MVP voters nonetheless deciding the place to position Doncic and the reigning MVP, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander On their ballots, Gilgeous-Alexander was dominant, placing up 28 factors, 7 rebounds, 7 assists and simply 1 turnover by the primary three quarters.

Meanwhile, the Lakers’ potential as title contenders in the upcoming playoffs was known as into query with a no-show in opposition to the defending NBA champions.