Luka Dončić Will Miss Rest Of Lakers’ Regular Season With Hamstring Strain

6 days ago

Luka Dončić will miss nan remainder of nan Los Angeles Lakers’ regular play pinch a Grade 2 strain of his near hamstring, nan squad announced Friday.

Dončić is nan NBA’s apical scorer and nan driving unit down the Lakers’ surge into nan 3rd spot successful nan Western Conference standings, but he injured his limb during Los Angeles’ blowout 139-96 nonaccomplishment to Oklahoma City connected Thursday. An MRI exam revealed nan severity of nan strain.

The Lakers are 50-27 and person conscionable 5 games near earlier nan postseason. They recreation to Dallas connected Sunday.

Dončić is putting up spectacular numbers successful his first afloat play pinch nan Lakers, who acquired nan Slovenian superstar from nan Mavericks past season. He is averaging 33.5 points, 8.3 assists and 7.7 rebounds per crippled for Los Angeles, and he was named nan NBA’s Western Conference subordinate of nan period for March aft racking up 13 consecutive 30-point performances including 7 40-point games.

He is almost surely going to triumph nan NBA scoring title, but it’s now very imaginable he doesn’t make nan All-NBA team. Dončić has played 64 games, 1 awkward of nan league’s 65-game grant eligibility threshold. BetMGM Sportsbook, among others, took Dončić disconnected nan database of MVP betting options aft his wounded Thursday.

Grade 2 hamstring strains sometimes require respective weeks of recovery, but Dončić besides has anterior acquisition pinch hamstring issues. He missed 4 games correct earlier nan All-Star break pinch different near hamstring strain, but returned to nan lineup aft nan break.

Lakers coach JJ Redick said Dončić was injured successful nan first half against nan Thunder, but was cleared to return to nan game. Dončić lasted only astir 4 minutes earlier he spun, stopped and went down connected nan tribunal successful pain, starring to his departure.

Five of nan league’s six highest-paid players this play – Golden State’s Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler, Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid, Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo and Boston’s Jayson Tatum – aren’t eligible for awards because they won’t meet nan eligibility threshold. It was collectively bargained, meaning nan convention and nan players relation agreed connected nan terms, and this is nan 3rd play of it being portion of nan NBA rules.

It applies to subordinate eligibility for 5 awards: MVP, protect subordinate of nan year, astir improved player, nan All-NBA Team and nan All-Defensive Team. Players person to either play successful 65 regular-season games (with immoderate minutes-played minimums successful location arsenic well), aliases astatine slightest 62 games earlier suffering a “season-ending injury”.

But moreover pinch Dončić’s hamstring wounded severely capable that he’ll miss nan remainder of nan regular season, it wouldn’t beryllium classified arsenic “season-ending” unless a expert jointly selected by nan NBA and nan National Basketball Players Association says he wouldn’t beryllium capable to play again done 31 May.

There is simply a grievance process and moreover a measurement to situation nan norm citing bonzer circumstances, but neither would beryllium easy utilized.