Los Angeles Lakers news: Luka Doncic injury blow comes at worst possible time - could miss everything

Luka Doncic has suffered another hamstring injury at the worst possible moment, with the playoffs approaching and his year-end award eligibility now in jeopardy.

When a player pulls up without contact, grimacing and clutching the back of his thigh before sinking to the floor, it is never a good sign. That is exactly what happened to Luka Doncic on Thursday night, as he suffered a hamstring injury midway through the third quarter of the Los Angeles Lakers' heavy defeat to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Just hours after being named Western Conference Player of the Month, Doncic first felt discomfort in his thigh during the first quarter, and then aggravated the injury in the third. The sight of him lying on the floor with his hands over his face suggested the worst, and the Slovenian will undergo an MRI on Friday.

"We checked him out. He got work done, but he was cleared," Redick told reporters, defending his decision to send Doncic back out after the first scare. "We're not going to put a player at risk. Those things happen. It was discussed at halftime. Thought we'd give those guys about six minutes, and if we didn't cut into the lead, we were gonna pull them. Obviously, it was around that time [the injury] happened."

All-NBA eligibility and playoffs both at risk

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Back in February, Doncic had already missed four games with a strain to the same hamstring and used the All-Star break to recover. This time, the situation is considerably more serious — with the playoffs just two weeks away, there is genuine uncertainty over whether he will be fit for the first round, depending on the severity of the injury.

There is also the matter of year-end awards. Like Anthony Edwards and Cade Cunningham, Doncic could be ruled ineligible for end-of-season honours. A serious MVP candidate and near-certain First Team All-NBA selection, the Lakers guard has played 64 games this season — just one short of the 65-game minimum required for award eligibility.