Luka Dončić sustained a left hamstring injury during the Los Angeles Lakers’ significant 139-96 defeat to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday, AEDT. As a result of this grade-two strain, Dončić will be unavailable for the remainder of the Lakers’ regular season.

The Slovenian star, who has been pivotal in the Lakers’ rise to third place in the Western Conference standings, was recently honored as the NBA’s Western Conference Player of the Month for March.

The injury occurred during the first half of the game against the Thunder. Although Dončić was initially cleared to continue playing, he lasted only a few minutes before experiencing discomfort, ultimately leading to his exit from the match.

Subsequent MRI scans confirmed the severity of the strain, indicating that he will be out indefinitely. LeBron James, Dončić’s teammate, expressed concern about the timing of the injury, stating, “At this point in the season, it’s the last thing you want to see. When you have an MVP candidate on your team, seeing someone go down with a hamstring injury is unfortunate.”

The Lakers, currently holding a 50-27 record, have only five games left in the regular season as they prepare for the playoffs. Grade-two hamstring strains typically necessitate weeks of recovery. However, Dončić has dealt with similar injuries in the past, having missed four games prior to the All-Star break due to another left hamstring issue, but he successfully returned to action once the season resumed.

In his first complete season with the Lakers, following his trade from the Dallas Mavericks, Dončić has been impressive, averaging 33.5 points, 8.3 assists, and 7.7 rebounds per game. His remarkable performance in March included 13 consecutive games scoring 30 points or more, featuring seven games with at least 40 points.