Luka Doncic to get hamstring treatment in Europe, aims for playoffs
Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (L) will miss the remainder of the regular season due to a left hamstring strain, but is eyeing a return for the playoffs. Photo by Erik S. Lesser/EPA April 6 (UPI) -- Los Angeles Lakers star guard Luka Doncic will undergo treatment on his injured left hamstring in Europe in an effort to expedite recovery.
Sources told ESPN , The Athletic and the Los Angeles Times that Doncic flew to Europe on Sunday to begin the treatment. Doncic, who has been ruled out for the regular season, sustained the Grade 2 hamstring strain during a 139-96 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday in Oklahoma City. The Lakers did not provide a timeline for Doncic's potential return when they revealed the results of his MRI on Friday.
Grade 2 strains typically require a recovery of about a month. The NBA playoffs will be start April 18, with the NBA Finals set for a June 3 tip off. The Slovenian was the engine for a hot streak in March, when he averaged 37.
5 points, 8. 0 rebounds, 7. 4 assists and 2.
3 steals per game en route to Western Conference Player of the Month honors. The Lakers (50-28) sat in third place in the conference standings, one game ahead of the Denver Nuggets, at the time of Doncic's injury. They suffered a 134-128 setback to the Dallas Mavericks in their first game since Doncic's injury on Sunday in Dallas.