04/03/26 05:17:00
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04/03 17:15 CDT NBA scoring leader Luka Doncic to miss rest of Lakers' regular
season with hamstring strain
NBA scoring leader Luka Doncic to miss rest of Lakers' regular season with
hamstring strain
By GREG BEACHAM
AP Sports Writer
LOS ANGELES (AP) --- Luka Doncic will miss the rest of the Los Angeles Lakers'
regular season with a Grade 2 strain of his left hamstring, the team announced
Friday.
Doncic is the NBA's top scorer and the driving force behind the Lakers' surge
into the third spot in the Western Conference standings, but he injured his leg
during Los Angeles' blowout loss to Oklahoma City on Thursday. An MRI exam
revealed the severity of the strain.
The Lakers (50-27) have just five games left before the postseason, starting
Sunday at Dallas.
Grade 2 hamstring strains sometimes require several weeks of recovery, but
Doncic also has prior experience with hamstring issues. He missed four games
right before the All-Star break with another left hamstring strain, but
returned to the lineup after the break.
Doncic is putting up spectacular numbers in his first full season with the
Lakers, who acquired the Slovenian superstar from the Mavericks last season. He
is averaging 33.5 points, 8.3 assists and 7.7 rebounds per game for Los
Angeles, and he was named the NBA's Western Conference player of the month for
March after racking up 13 consecutive 30-point performances including seven
40-point games.
Lakers coach JJ Redick said Doncic was injured in the first half against the
Thunder, but was cleared to return to the game. Doncic lasted only about four
minutes before he spun, stopped and went down on the court in pain, leading to
his departure.
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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA
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