The Los Angeles Lakers will be playing without guard Luka Doncic for the foreseeable future as he seeks medical treatment outside of the United States.
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The six-time All-Star will fly to Europe for treatment on his Grade 2 left hamstring strain, according to ESPN. The recovery for this type of injury is usually a month, but the playoffs begin on April 18. Doncic has the goal of returning to the lineup in time for the postseason.
The injury occurred during a 136-96 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday. Doncic sustained the injury during the third quarter of the game and then he underwent an MRI the following day. The Lakers did not provide a timeline for his potential return to the lineup other than saying he would miss the final five games of the regular season.
Doncic has only played in 64 games this season, his first full campaign as a member of the Lakers, but he leads the NBA with 33.5 points per game. He also leads the league with an average of 10.8 field goals per game and four three-pointers per game.
This injury marks another absence this season for Doncic. He previously missed two games to fly to Slovenia for the birth of his second child.
Missing more games will keep Doncic below the 65-game threshold required to be eligible for end of season awards. However, the veteran's agent, Bill Duffy, told ESPN that he would apply for what is essentially a waiver.
"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," Duffy said, per ESPN.
"To ensure that Luka's incredible accomplishments this season are rightly honored and he can be considered for the league's end-of-season awards, we intend to apply for an 'Extraordinary Circumstances Challenge' to the 65-game rule.
"Luka missed two games this season for the birth of his second child in Slovenia. His daughter was born on Dec. 4, on another continent, and yet he was back in the United States competing with his team on Dec. 6. Luka has gone to great lengths to show up for his team and this league this season.
"His record-breaking season deserves to be noted in the history books, despite (April 2's) unfortunate injury and other extraordinary circumstances. We look forward to working with the NBAPA and the league office to ensure a fair outcome in this matter."
