Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Doncic has been sidelined for at least the remainder of the regular season due to a Grade 2 left hamstring strain, an injury he sustained during the third quarter of the Lakers' 139-96 defeat to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday.

An MRI conducted in Dallas on Friday confirmed the extent of the strain.

While a Grade 2 strain typically necessitates a month-long recovery period, the Lakers have not provided a specific timetable for Doncic's return, only confirming his absence for the final five regular-season games.

The NBA playoffs are set to commence on Saturday, April 18.

The injury, unfortunately, means Doncic will not meet the 65-game threshold required for eligibility for end-of-season awards.

However, his agent, Bill Duffy of WME Basketball, has announced intentions to apply for an "Extraordinary Circumstances Challenge" on behalf of his client.

Duffy emphasized Doncic's exceptional performance throughout the season, stating, "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's statement further elaborated on the circumstances, noting that Doncic missed two games this season for the birth of his second child in Slovenia in early December, yet returned to compete with his team in the U.S. just two days later.

This demonstrates Doncic's significant commitment to his team and the league, which Duffy believes warrants consideration for end-of-season awards despite the recent injury and previous absences, and they look forward to collaborating with the NBAPA and the league office to ensure a fair resolution.

Before his injury, Doncic had a remarkable season, leading the league with 33.5 points per game.

In his 64 appearances, the eight-year veteran also averaged 8.3 assists (third in the NBA), 7.7 rebounds (second among guards), and 1.6 steals per game (sixth in the league).

Despite his stellar individual performance, ESPN's third and final NBA MVP straw poll for the 2025-26 season, which included 100 NBA media members, placed Doncic a distant fourth behind Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Thunder, Victor Wembanyama of the Spurs, and Nikola Jokic of the Nuggets.

The Lakers, currently holding the No. 3 spotin the Western Conference, have already secured a playoff berth.

Their remaining regular-season schedule includes a road game against the Dallas Mavericks, a home game against the Thunder, another road game against the Golden State Warriors, and home games against the Phoenix Suns and Utah Jazz.

Los Angeles is one game ahead of the No. 4 Denver Nuggets, 2½ games ahead of the No. 5 Houston Rockets, and 3½ games ahead of the No. 6 Minnesota Timberwolves.

Furthermore, the Lakers possess the tiebreaker against all three of these teams, having won the season series against each.