After consultation with Los Angeles Lakers doctors and his own medical team, Luka Doncic will seek specialized medical treatment in Europe on his Grade 2 left hamstring strain in an attempt to expedite his return to play, his agent, Bill Duffy of WME Basketball, told ESPN’s Shams Charania and Dave McMenamin on Sunday.
Doncic suffered the injury in the third quarter of the Lakers’ 139-96 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday and underwent an MRI in Dallas on Friday afternoon that revealed the extent of the strain, with the team announcing that he would be sidelined at least through the end of the regular season.
A Grade 2 strain typically involves a monthlong recovery. The Lakers did not provide a timetable for Doncic’s return beyond sitting out the final five regular-season games. The first round of the NBA playoffs begins April 18.
The Lakers also announced Saturday that Austin Reaves was diagnosed with a Grade 2 left oblique muscle injury and would be out for the rest of the regular season. Though the team gave no timetable for his return, sources told Charania that Reaves was expected to miss four to six weeks.
Doncic’s first full regular season with the Lakers ended with the eight-year veteran leading the league in scoring (33.5) along with 8.3 assists (third in the NBA), 7.7 rebounds (second among guards) and 1.6 steals (sixth in the league) in 64 appearances.
The Lakers (50-28), currently No. 3 in the Western Conference, have clinched a playoff spot. They lost 134-128 on the road to the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday, and have a home game against the Thunder, a road game against the Golden State Warriors and home games against the Phoenix Suns and Utah Jazz remaining on their schedule.
