Basket Ball

Luka Doncic to miss rest of Lakers’ regular season with injury

Los Angeles Lakers star, Luka Doncic, will miss the remainder of the regular NBA season with a hamstring injury.

The Slovenian, 37, had played himself into contention for the league’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) award during an outstanding March in which he became only the 10th player in history to score 600 points in a single month.

But he will miss the final five regular-season games after suffering a grade two strain of his left hamstring during Thursday’s heavy loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The Lakers have not provided a timetable for Doncic’s return after he had a scan on Friday, just two weeks before the start of the NBA play-offs on 18 April.

ALSO READ: ‘Very normal’, Redick shrugs off heated exchange with Doncic

Doncic is the NBA’s leading scorer this season with 2143 points for an unequalled average of 33.5 points per game.

However, having been sidelined for four games with a left hamstring strain earlier in the season, and missing two games to return to Slovenia for the birth of his daughter in December, Doncic is set to fall short of the minimum games threshold required to qualify for the NBA’s major end-of-season awards.

Doncic, who is one appearance short of the 65 required, will apply for an “Extraordinary Circumstances Challenge”, according to his agent Bill Duffy.

“This season, Luka Doncic has performed at a historic level, leading the league in scoring, carrying the Lakers to third place in the Western Conference and placing himself in the middle of one of the most tightly contested MVP races in memory,” Duffy told ESPN.

“To ensure Luka’s incredible accomplishments this season are rightly honoured and he can be considered for the league’s end-of-season awards, we intend to apply for an ‘Extraordinary Circumstances Challenge’ to the 65-game rule.”

Doncic was named March’s player of the month following 13 consecutive 30-point performances, which helped the Lakers to 13 wins in 14 games prior to the defeat by the Thunder.

(BBC)

Femi Akinyemi

Recent Posts

NFF appoints Jegede-Idakwo, Omodiaghe as Flamingos assistant coaches

The three will assist Busari as the Flamingos seek a spot at this year’s FIFA…

4 hours ago

U-17 Women’s World Cup: Busari invites 36 players to camp

This year’s FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup finals will take place in Morocco from 17th…

5 hours ago

Fernandez to miss Man City clash despite apology — Rosenior

"He's apologised to me, he's apologised to the club, and we'll deal with that after…

7 hours ago

Pereira urges Premier League to ease schedule for European clubs

PSG were successful in a request to move a Ligue 1 fixture against Lens before…

7 hours ago

Egypt goalkeeper handed four-match ban for referee incident

The Egyptian international was angered that Al-Ahly was not awarded a penalty for a handball…

8 hours ago

FCT NLO club chairmen distance self from Progressive Chairmen Forum

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Nationwide League One (NLO) Club Chairmen have distanced themselves from…

16 hours ago

This website uses cookies.