The Los Angeles Lakers fell behind by as many as 11 points in the first quarter against the Philadelphia 76ers. To make matters worse, their MVP, Luka Doncic, had to exit the game in the second quarter. The Slovenian was grabbing the back of his left leg and headed off to the locker room. He didn’t return for the start of the third quarter, and he has now reportedly been ruled out for the rest of the game.

Mike Trudel, Lakers reporter, added, “He’s out for the game due to left leg soreness.”

After gingerly walking on the court, Doncic ultimately left with about three minutes left in the first half. At the time, the Lakers announced he was questionable to return as he was assessed for a hamstring injury. He did not return to the court with his team after halftime and did not start the third quarter; the Lakers ruled him out for the remainder of the game due to left leg soreness.

Even with limited minutes on the floor (15), Luka Doncic had 10 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 assists by then. Still, that injury bugged the 6x All-Star as it also probably resulted in five turnovers during the Lakers’ rough first half against the Sixers. Luka also missed all four of his 3-point attempts, so during his exit, Doncic was animated, showing a level of frustration after the injury.

The unfortunate injury meant that the scoring leader in the league had back-to-back games of less than 20 points, just the third time this season. For now, there is no timeline on how long the 26-year-old will be out.

JJ Redick addressed Doncic’s latest injury concern. “He got some soreness in his hamstring. He didn’t feel like it was good enough to go back in, neither did the medical [staff]. So we held him out,” the Lakers coach said. “He’ll get some imaging. Too early to say if any injury, but just had a sore hamstring.”

This is the second time that the Lakers’ star suffered a lower leg injury in a week’s span. Last time, when it happened, Luka uttered NSFW words while Redick was disappointed with the league.

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Luka Doncic’s landing problem against the Cavaliers

While the emotional return for LeBron James remained the headline, the Lakers’ nation would have been tearing up if Doncic had suffered a season-ending injury. And it was close. Luka Doncic attempted a fadeaway three-pointer but lost his balance, tumbling onto the uneven ground beyond the court. The Cavaliers’ arena features the NBA’s only raised floor, which prompted JJ to call a timeout when Doncic couldn’t immediately get up after rolling his ankle.

The courtside microphone caught Doncic venting his frustration, “Who the f— made this floor, god—–!” The video first surfaced on X via Post Daws before gaining wider traction after being reposted by Bleacher Report. He was able to play in the second quarter and finish the game, but player safety remained a key issue, which JJ Redick addressed.

“There’s been a number of injuries over the years in this building because of the floor,” the head coach said. “It is absolutely a safety hazard. I don’t know why it’s still like that. I don’t.”

Luka Doncic considered himself “lucky” because previously, Heat star Dru Smith suffered a season-ending third-degree ACL sprain because of the 10-inch drop off. But the Lakers will now be worried again, as a hamstring issue could have long-lasting effects on the season.