The Lakers’ biggest nightmare has struck. The Los Angeles Lakers were back home hosting the Philadelphia 76ers when things went sideways very early in the contest. Luka Doncic abruptly left the court in the first half, and his gait looked alarmingly poor. As the Lakers headed into halftime trailing 51-59, the team made an ominous announcement about their star player’s condition.

The troubling sequence unfolded with about three minutes remaining in the first half. Doncic was positioned in the corner when he committed a turnover while attempting a pass to Maxi Kleber. In the ensuing play, Kleber collided with the 76ers’ Quentin Grimes, who fell to the floor clutching his face after the accidental contact. Meanwhile, amid this chaotic moment, Doncic suddenly grabbed his right hamstring.

What followed painted a concerning picture. After gingerly testing his mobility on the court, Doncic ultimately departed before the first half concluded. He limped noticeably toward the locker room, his visible frustration evident with each labored step. The extent of his distress became clear when he kicked the scorer’s table and doubled over it in apparent pain, underscoring the severity of what the Lakers now face.

The Lakers have left his status in the air as he gets assessed for a hamstring injury. He had played about 15 minutes and had 10 points with 4 rebounds and 2 assists by then. It’s so far a non-contact injury.

An update came from Spectrum’s Mike Trudell during the third quarter. “He’s out for the game due to left leg soreness,” Trudell confirmed. Luka Doncic is ruled out for the rest of the game. He is suffering from left leg soreness and won’t return to complete the game.

Still no word on the severity of it. But from the looks of it, Doncic has avoided the worst.

Luka Doncic avoids the worst

The Lakers started the second half without Doncic. But the general assessment was not so great. Doncic had been unsteady since he started the game, committing a few turnovers. The Spectrum analysts suspect he may have had cramps. Or at least they’re hoping it’s not worse than that and he can return to give the Lakers a late-game spurt.

This stretch of the season has not been kind to MVP candidates, but they’ve been relatively lucky. First, Nikola Jokic avoided an ACL tear after hyperextending his knee. Now, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is sidelined through the All-Star break for abdominal strain. 

A hamstring strain, at worst, would mean sitting out more than one game or aggravating it to much worse. Something Jalen Green and the Phoenix Suns are contending with right now. A sore leg may have a shorter recovery timeline, provided the scans are clear.

Yet the anxiety can’t be discounted. Especially after the elevated Cavs court gave us a scare.

Lakers faithful are all crying and screaming at the basketball gods on social media. They just got Austin Reaves back after more than a month, and they were looking forward to the ‘immature non-friends’ reuniting. Now we have to contend with the prospect of Doncic facing the unspeakable curse.

Halftime concluded with the LeBron show. 41-year-old King James made a monster slam to bring the Lakers within 7 points. But Luka’s anxiety is far stronger, as hamstring injuries could mean an extended break. Maybe like OKC and SGA, the Lakers would rest Doncic through the All-Star break, too. That would mean another All-Star starter could be out of the ASG.

After the game, JJ Redick confirmed that Luka “felt some soreness in his hamstring.” The staff didn’t think it was safe to send Doncic back in the game with a sore hamstring. They’re waiting on MRIs to confirm the severity.