Luka Doncic has been dominated out of the common season after sustaining a Grade 2 left hamstring pressure in opposition to the Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder on Thursday. The damage is an enormous blow to the Los Angeles Lakers, and the Slovenian himself, who has by far has had a MVP-worthy season. However, a optimistic replace got here in on Saturday. An knowledgeable revealed that Doncic may very well be again throughout the playoffs.
The 27-year-old guard has been instrumental in driving the Lakers to 3rd place within the Western Convention, averaging 33.5 factors, 8.3 assists and seven.7 rebounds per recreation. His standout March run included 13 video games with 30 or extra factors, highlighted by seven 40-point performances, together with outings of 51 and 60. Within the course of, he joined Michael Jordan as the one gamers in NBA historical past to attain 600 factors within the month of March and have become one in every of simply 10 gamers ever to achieve that mark in any calendar month.
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Professional weighs in on Luka Doncic’s return
Damage knowledgeable Marty Jaramillo revealed that he believes Doncic may return throughout the postseason.
Talking on CBS Sports activities, Jaramillo mentioned: “Luka Doncic’s MVP-caliber season is now in jeopardy. He suffered a grade two hamstring strain, which is a deceleration type injury. The replay is clear. He accelerated into the paint, had to stop short, and grabbed high on his hamstring near his glute muscle.”
“A grade one strain is manageable. A grade two strain is a momentum killer. Why is that? A grade two strain is a partial tear. The pain is sharp and noticeable. The strength loss is noticeable. Mobility is limited, especially with sprinting. Time management here is going to be between three and six weeks. It depends on how quickly he heals. With a history of these hamstring tears, signs do not look good, but fingers crossed.”
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The knowledgeable additional defined why hamstring strains are tough.
“Since 2024, Luka has had five hamstring strains. This year, his fitness and conditioning have kept him on the floor. But in the NBA, health equals heavy load in minutes, heavy load in general. Late fatigue injuries occur, and this is what’s happening here.”
“Why are hamstring strains so tricky? First, they have very poor blood supply, so it takes time. Second, most tears are deep, so even strong hands have a hard time getting into the tear. Third, most tears are small, but the healthy muscle around the tear tightens up to protect it. You start to compensate, and the injury feels much larger.”
“So you have to work immediately to control inflammation. You have to heal it, gently reload it, gently retrain it, then get it to trust again. To do that in a short period of time is difficult. Luka of last year, this would be season-ending. Luka today, I’m betting on him.”
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What occurred to Luka Doncic?
Doncic’s momentum was halted throughout Thursday’s 139-96 loss to the Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder. He appeared in seen discomfort after driving to the basket within the third quarter, earlier than limping off the court docket. The Slovenian star, clearly emotional, exited the sport after briefly remaining on the ground in ache.
Head coach JJ Redick later revealed that he had skilled hamstring discomfort earlier within the recreation however had been cleared to proceed. “We checked him out,” Redick mentioned after the sport. “He got work done, but he was cleared. We’re not going to put a player at risk. Those things happen.”
Luka Doncic’s MVP shot
His agent, Invoice Duffy, has already moved to handle that chance. Chatting with ESPN, Duffy confirmed plans to hunt an exception. “His daughter was born on December 4, on another continent, and yet he was back in the United States competing with his team on December 6,” Duffy mentioned.
“Luka has gone to great lengths to show up for his team and this league this season. His record-breaking season deserves to be noted in the history books, despite last night’s unfortunate injury and other extraordinary circumstances.
“We look forward to working with the (National Basketball Players Association) and the league office to ensure a fair outcome in this matter.”
