Lakers star Luka Doncic suffers hamstring injury in blowout loss to Thunder
Luka Doncic pulled up in the midrange and grabbed his left leg before eventually walking off the court under his own power in a 139-96 loss to the Thunder.
Lakers star Luka Doncic controls the ball against Oklahoma City Thunder guard Cason Wallace in the first half of the Lakers' 139-96 loss Thursday night. (Gerald Leong / Associated Press) The score wasn't the only thing that made this the Lakers ’ worst loss of the season. Even more concerning than the Lakers’ 139-96 blowout loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday was watching superstar guard Luka Doncic hobble off the court with a left hamstring injury in the third quarter.
Doncic went straight to the locker room and didn’t return as the Lakers, trailing by 32 when he left, let Oklahoma City's lead balloon to 45. Doncic’s was the second injury scare the Lakers weathered in the game that was supposed to be a marquee matchup between the hottest teams in the league. Read more: Luka Doncic matches Michael Jordan for the most magical March in NBA history Austin Reaves hobbled through the first quarter, grabbing at his left lower back at nearly every sudden movement.
He appeared to get hurt chasing down a loose ball with 6:23 remaining. He turned the ball over trying to connect with Deandre Ayton on the next possession, reaching immediately for his lower back after the pass went awry. The Lakers had 18 turnovers.
Since the All-Star break, they had become one of the best teams when it came to taking care of the ball, committing only 12. 6 turnovers per game, ranking third in the league. Lu Dort had two steals and hit all four of his three-pointers as the Thunder were seven for 11 from three-point range.