Dave McMenamin
Multiple Authors
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 way of 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 L.A. known as timeout.
After teammates surrounded him to examine 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 L.A. trailing 90-58.
The damage 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 had been outscored by 25 in the 26 minutes Doncic was on the court docket.
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 couple of.3 steals per game, the begin to April was a significant disappointment on a number of ranges for L.A.
In what was billed as a late-season game that would 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 way of 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 champs.
