LeBron James is waiting on medical reports after Luka Doncic suffered a hamstring injury during the Los Angeles Lakers’ 139-96 defeat to the Oklahoma City Thunder. Doncic left in the third quarter, and the Lakers struggled badly without the All-Star guard, as Oklahoma City controlled the game soon after the injury.
Initial checks confirmed a hamstring problem, and further scans are scheduled for Friday to measure the damage. During the minutes Doncic spent off the floor, Los Angeles were outscored by 25 points, underlining how central the Slovenian guard has become to the team’s structure at this stage of the campaign.
The setback arrives after a dominant March from Doncic, who averaged 37.5 points, 8.0 rebounds and 7.4 assists. Across that stretch,
the Lakers produced a 15-2 record, climbing the Western Conference standings and removing any threat of the play-in, which James highlighted while speaking about the importance of squad fitness.
James stressed how damaging an injury to a key teammate can be so late in the schedule. "At this point, at this juncture of the season, it's the last thing you want to see," James said, as reported by ESPN. "When you have an MVP candidate on your team, the last thing you want to see is somebody go down with a hamstring injury. So, pray for the best, for sure, and a speedy recovery. There's never a time to get comfortable in this league. The only thing we do know is that we won't be in the play-in, so we have that week. But health is wealth. "
Lakers coach JJ Redick outlined how the medical staff handled the situation during the game. He said Doncic received treatment at halftime yet was allowed to resume before leaving in the third quarter. "We checked him out," Redick said. "He got work done. He was cleared. I mean, again, we're not going to put a player at risk. "
The Lakers have a 7-6 record without Doncic this season, suggesting some resilience but also a clear drop in level. James accepted the heavy loss to the Thunder but pointed to the wider picture and team unity. "Nothing has changed," James said. "We still will be [together]. Obviously, we'll be tested with the head of the snake [missing]. But nothing is rattled. It's one game, it's part of the NBA season, it's the defending champions. We get it. We understand. "
Final pic.twitter.com/AmHDX9ktf1Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) April 3, 2026
The Lakers now wait for Friday’s scan results, which will guide plans for the closing games and the playoffs. With the play-in already avoided, the franchise has a short window to prioritise recovery, manage Doncic’s workload carefully, and adjust rotations if required while aiming to maintain recent momentum in the Western Conference race.
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