Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Doncic was forced off late in the second quarter and ruled out for the remainder of Thursday’s 119-115 win over the Philadelphia 76ers because of a left hamstring issue.
The Lakers initially described the problem as left leg soreness, but head coach JJ Redick confirmed Doncic will undergo an MRI on Friday to assess the injury further.
“Yeah, he felt some soreness in his hamstring, so he didn’t feel like it was good enough to go back in,” Redick said. “Neither did our medical staff, so we held him out. And he’ll get some imaging. I mean, too early to say if there’s an injury, but just had a sore hamstring.”
Doncic finished with 10 points on 3-of-10 shooting, adding four rebounds, two assists and five turnovers in 16 minutes before leaving the game with 3:03 remaining in the first half.
As he exited the floor, the Lakers guard kicked the scorer’s table in frustration before leaning over it with his arms covering his face.
He did not return after half-time, with Rui Hachimura stepping into the starting lineup. Hachimura scored 14 points and grabbed seven rebounds, sealing the win with a late dunk that doubled the Lakers’ lead from two to four points with 12.3 seconds remaining.
The injury is the latest concern for Doncic, who has already missed eight games this season because of various leg issues. He entered the night leading the NBA in scoring at 33.4 points per game, while also averaging 8.7 assists and 7.9 rebounds.
Thursday marked just the 10th game this season that Doncic, LeBron James and Austin Reaves were all available together. James missed the opening 14 games with sciatica, while Reaves returned earlier this week after a 19-game absence due to a left calf strain.
Reaves played a key role in the comeback win, scoring 35 points on 12-of-17 shooting in just 25 minutes as the Lakers overturned a 14-point third-quarter deficit. His minutes were limited as he continues to build fitness following his injury. James recovered from a slow start to finish with 17 points and 10 assists, though he also committed eight turnovers.
The Lakers are next in action on Saturday when they host the Golden State Warriors. Doncic’s availability remains uncertain.
“Hopefully nothing major,” Reaves said. “We need him. He’s our best player and the engine for a lot of the stuff we do. Hopefully we get good news Friday, and I wish him nothing the best.”
