NEWNow you can listen to Pak Gazette articles!
The Los Angeles Lakers’ championship hopes just took a huge hit.
NBA scoring leader Luka Dončić will miss the remainder of the regular season with a Grade 2 left hamstring strain, the team announced Friday.
It’s unclear what his postseason status is.
Dončić was the main reason the Lakers rose to third place in the Western Conference standings. But an injury to his leg during Los Angeles’ loss at Oklahoma City on Thursday took all that away from him after an MRI exam revealed the severity of the strain.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON PakGazette.Com
Lakers coach JJ Redick said Dončić was injured in the first half against the Thunder, but was cleared to return to the game while his team was being beaten by the defending NBA champion Thunder.
Dončić lasted only about four minutes before spinning, stopping and falling to the court in pain, prompting his exit.
Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Dončić controls the ball against the Orlando Magic in the first quarter at the Kia Center on March 21, 2026. (Nathan Ray Seebeck/Image Images)
The Lakers acquired Dončić in a surprising and controversial trade in February 2025, when the Dallas Mavericks sent the Latvian superstar, along with Maxi Kleber and Markieff Morris to Los Angeles in exchange for Anthony Davis, 31, Max Christie and a 2029 first-round pick. The move left many fans and experts baffled, believing the trade was lopsided in favor of the Lakers.
The Pacific Division champion Lakers (50-27) have just five games left before the postseason, beginning Sunday in Dallas.
Grade 2 hamstring strains sometimes require several weeks of recovery, but Dončić also has previous experience with hamstring issues. He missed four games just before the All-Star break with another left hamstring strain, but returned to the lineup after the break.
LAKERS STAR LUKA DONČIĆ SAYS HE’S IN A CUSTODY BATTLE WITH HIS FIANCE OVER THEIR DAUGHTERS
Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Dončić reacts after a foul called in the first half against the Los Angeles Clippers at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Nov. 25, 2025. (Keith Birmingham/MediaNews Group/Pasadena Star-News/Getty Images)
Dončić is putting up spectacular numbers in his first full season with the Lakers, who acquired the Slovenian superstar from the Mavericks last season.
He’s averaging 33.5 points, 8.3 assists and 7.7 rebounds per game for Los Angeles, and was named NBA Western Conference Player of the Month for March after compiling 13 straight 30-point performances, including seven 40-point games, a 51-point barrage against Chicago and a 60-point masterclass in Miami.
Dončić scored 600 points in March, becoming the 10th player in NBA history to reach that mark in a single month. While LeBron James and Austin Reaves also played well down the stretch, the Lakers are relying on Dončić, who scored or assisted on 58% of their total points in March.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE Pak Gazette APP
Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Dončić controls the ball against the Atlanta Hawks during the first half at State Farm Arena in Atlanta on Nov. 8, 2025. (Dale Zanine/Image Images)
The Lakers’ regular season finale is next Sunday, April 12 at home against Utah. Their first-round playoff series is expected to begin the following weekend.
