OKLAHOMA CITY — What was supposed to be an MVP-candidate showdown is on the verge of ending as badly as possible for the Los Angeles Lakers. LA is getting beaten badly, but much more importantly, Luka Dončić left the game midway through the third quarter after suffering a left hamstring injury.
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 hopped around while putting no weight on his left leg before lying down on the baseline and burying his head in his arms. The Lakers called a timeout, and Dončić limped to the locker room. The Lakers announced he would not return.
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Dončić had appeared to suffer some kind of leg issue late in the first half after a jump pass to Luke Kennard.
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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 had 12 points on 3-of-10 from the field at the time of the injury, with seven assists and six turnovers.
This was Dončić’s 64th game this season, so he will not be eligible for any postseason awards if he cannot return for any of the Lakers’ five remaining regular-season games. The Lakers next play Sunday in Dallas against Dončić’s former team, the Mavericks.
This story will be updated.