OKLAHOMA CITY – What was supposed to be a MVP-candidate showdown ended as badly as possible for the Los Angeles Lakers, with LA getting beaten 139-96 and — much more importantly — Luka Dončić limping off the court midway through the third quarter with a left hamstring injury.
Dončić will undergo an MRI Friday to determine the severity of the injury, a league source told The Athletic.
With the Lakers trailing 90-58 with 7:39 remaining, Dončić came up limping after driving to the basket against Oklahoma City’s Jalen Williams. He took the weight off his left leg before laying down on the baseline. The Lakers called timeout and Dončić limped to the back. He reacted as if something significant had occurred, flipping the ball behind his back and out of bounds, surrendering the possession.
The Lakers trailed most of the game by at least 30 points after a disastrous start in which they repeatedly turned the ball over against the Thunder’s pressure. Dončić, who was named the Western Conference Player of the Month for March earlier in the day, was having his worst game in weeks. He made just 3-of-10 from the field with six turnovers before exiting after 25 minutes. He began grabbing at his hamstring after a jumping pass to Luke Kennard late in the first half.
Dončić’s second-half exit came after teammate Austin Reaves needed a trip to the locker room in the first half. With the Lakers already being badly beaten, Reaves began grabbing at his left side after he tipped a loose ball to himself for a rebound. He stayed in the game for multiple minutes, clearly reaching at his left side.
After going to the locker room in the first quarter, Reaves, who has been dealing with multiple nagging minor injuries, returned to the court midway through the second period but left the game for good in the third quarter with the Lakers being routed by the NBA’s defending champions.
Thursday was Dončić’s 64th game this season. The NBA requires players to play in at least 65 to be considered for several postseason awards, so Dončić must participate in one of the Lakers’ final five games to be eligible for MVP and all-NBA. (Dončić’ was suspended for the Lakers’ win this past Monday against Washington after receiving his 16th technical foul in the previous game).
Dončić missed four games right before the All-Star break with a left hamstring injury. He’d played in 21 of the Lakers’ next 22 games (only missing for the suspension) while averaging 35.8 points on 25 shot attempts and 7.8 assists per game. His usage rate, 38.1, leads the NBA and is the highest of his career.
The Lakers next play Sunday in Dallas against Dončić’s former team, the Mavericks.
This story will be updated.