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Luka Doncic ruled out for remainder of NBA regular season
Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic will miss the final five games of the regular season after sustaining a grade two hamstring strain during Thursday's loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder. The 27-year-old Slovenian, who led the league in scoring this season, underwent a scan on Friday, but the Lakers have not released a recovery timeline ahead of the playoffs, which begin on 18 April.
MVP hopes in jeopardy due to games missed
Doncic, who averaged 33.5 points per game this season-an NBA-high-has played only 64 of the required 65 games to qualify for end-of-season awards. He missed four games earlier in the season with a left hamstring strain and two more in December to return to Slovenia for the birth of his daughter.
His agent, Bill Duffy, announced plans to file an "Extraordinary Circumstances Challenge" to the 65-game rule, arguing that Doncic's historic performance-including leading the Lakers to third place in the Western Conference-warrants consideration for the MVP award.
"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."
Bill Duffy, Doncic's agent
March dominance cut short by injury
Doncic's absence follows a dominant March, during which he became the 10th player in NBA history to score 600 points in a single month. He was named the league's Player of the Month after leading the Lakers to 13 wins in 14 games, including 13 consecutive 30-point performances.
Lakers clinch playoff spot despite injury setback
The Lakers have already secured a playoff berth, but Doncic's absence could impact their postseason positioning. The team has not indicated whether he will be available for the playoffs, leaving his status uncertain as they prepare for the postseason.
Flagg's historic night overshadowed by Mavericks' struggles
Elsewhere, 19-year-old Cooper Flagg made NBA history by scoring 51 points-including 24 in the fourth quarter-for the Dallas Mavericks in a 138-127 loss to the Orlando Magic. Flagg, the first teenager to reach 50 points in a game, surpassed his previous career high of 49 points set in January.
"It's always fun getting into that type of mode. The basket feels big. But I like to win. That was my main focus. It's hard for me to fully enjoy myself out there when we're down 20, down 10, down 15, for the majority of the game."
Cooper Flagg, Dallas Mavericks
The loss marked the Mavericks' 14th consecutive home defeat, highlighting the team's ongoing struggles despite Flagg's breakout performance.
