Luka Dončić re-aggravated a left hamstring harm on Thursday in Oklahoma Metropolis and won’t play once more within the common season. His representatives introduced Friday that they intend to problem his ineligibility for the award with the NBA and NBPA. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander entered Thursday because the heavy MVP favourite. Nothing that occurred at Paycom Middle modified that, however Dončić taking place within the third quarter modified the whole lot else. He grabbed the again of his left leg and did not come again, and Charania had the information Friday morning: season over, playoffs unsure.
Dončić sustained the hamstring harm early within the recreation and was labored on at halftime after feeling one thing. He was cleared and got here again out. Nevertheless, after getting by Jalen Williams with a spin transfer to begin the third quarter, he planted his left foot with no one close to him and went straight to the ground. The Lakers pulled him at 7:39, down 32.
He suffered an harm to the identical leg on Feb. 5 in Philadelphia, inflicting him to overlook 11 video games that point, and he got here again wanting like he was managing it greater than working free. Now, he is out for the common season along with his playoff availability unclear on account of a hamstring that is been injured twice.
The playoffs begin April 18.
Dončić’s Path Is Not So Clear
Dončić has performed 64 video games. He wants 65 to qualify for MVP, All-NBA, any of it. Along with his common season completed, there is no such thing as a path again to that quantity until the NBA and NBPA create one — and on Friday morning, his camp introduced it intends to push for precisely that.
In a press release distributed by ESPN’s Shams Charania, agent Invoice Duffy of WME Basketball stated Dončić’s representatives plan to pursue an „Extraordinary Circumstances Problem“ to the 65-game rule. The core of the argument: Dončić missed two video games in December when his daughter was born in Slovenia on Dec. 4. He was again competing in the USA on Dec. 6. Duffy wrote that Dončić „has gone to nice lengths to indicate up for his group and this league this season“ and that the camp appears to be like ahead to working with the NBPA and the league workplace „to make sure a good end result on this matter.“
Assertion from Luka Doncic’s agent Invoice Duffy of WME Basketball: „This season, Luka Dončić has carried out at a historic degree, main the league in scoring, carrying the Lakers to 3rd place within the Western Convention and inserting himself in the course of one of the tightly… https://t.co/bKVOmzheDE
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 3, 2026
The CBA has no „extraordinary circumstances“ established. Granting the problem means the league invents a course of on the fly. There is a separate exception requiring 62 video games performed and 85% of the group’s schedule on the time of a season-ending harm. Dončić is at 83%. There’s one other mechanism at their disposal, requiring a collectively appointed doctor to find out that he’s unable to play by means of Might 31. It might must qualify as season-ending underneath the CBA.
One angle on the enchantment will embrace two video games Dončić missed for private causes, stemming from flying abroad for his daughter’s beginning. Whether or not the NBA sees a compelling or a artistic argument is a unique query, contemplating Dončić would have reached 65 video games had he not been suspended for exhausting the league’s restrict of 16 technical fouls in a season.
SGA the Clear MVP Favourite?
Oklahoma Metropolis defeated the Lakers 139-97, whereas Gilgeous-Alexander racked up 28 factors, seven rebounds, and 7 assists in three quarters, and solely turned it over as soon as. The Thunder had been up 23 at halftime and by no means seemed again. It was the sort of recreation that ends the MVP dialog.
ESPN’s closing straw ballot was launched on Friday, that includes Gilgeous-Alexander as a runaway favourite to win MVP, incomes 88 of 100 first-place votes and 958 whole factors. Victor Wembanyama had 8 first-place votes and 644 factors. Nikola Jokić landed third at 500. Dončić ranked fourth, incomes six second-place votes, zero firsts, and 347 factors whole.
Final evening, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander completed with 28 factors and now wants 48 factors over the remaining 5 video games to common 30 factors per recreation for a fourth consecutive season.
He can change into the fourth participant in @NBA historical past to take action, becoming a member of Wilt Chamberlain, Michael Jordan,… pic.twitter.com/R4PUvPWBbx
— Loopy Stats (@NBAcrazystats) April 3, 2026
Gilgeous-Alexander has averaged 31.6 factors, 4.4 rebounds, and 6.5 assists throughout 65 video games. He is shot 55.1% from the ground, 38.0% from three, and 88.1% from the road. Oklahoma Metropolis has a league-best 61-16 file.
The numbers aren’t the issue for Dončić’s case, contemplating he is the NBA’s main scorer and continues to make historical past. By way of 64 video games, he is at 33.5 factors, 7.7 rebounds, and eight.3 assists per evening, capturing 47.6% from the ground, 36.6% from three, and 78.0% from the road. 600 factors in March. The league scoring title. The Lakers are sitting third within the West. Whether or not the league’s eligibility ruling lets any of that onto a poll is the one open query.
Wemby Makes His Personal Case!
Because it stands, Victor Wembanyama seems to be the one viable candidate within the combine with Gilgeous-Alexander. He’s averaging 24.7 factors, 11.5 rebounds, and three.1 assists in 61 video games whereas capturing 50.9% from the ground and 35.0% from three, changing 82.3% of his free throw makes an attempt, and averaging 3.1 blocks per recreation. San Antonio has gone 26-1 throughout its final 27 outings and sits 2.5 video games behind Oklahoma Metropolis for the highest seed within the West.
If Wembanyama wins the award this season, he’ll change into the youngest MVP since Derrick Rose, who gained in 2011 at 22. Wembanyama turns 22 on April 4. He lately made his case to reporters when requested why he ought to lead the race, and that gave him a lift within the betting odds. The straw ballot locations him second within the race.
Wemby makes his case for MVP:
„My first one could be that protection is 50% of the sport and that it’s undervalued to date within the MVP race. I imagine I am probably the most impactful participant defensively within the league. Second argument could be that we nearly swept OKC within the season, and we… pic.twitter.com/hTOINJ5IWi
— Oh No He Did not (@ohnohedidnt24) March 24, 2026
Gilgeous-Alexander has held this race from the beginning, and Thursday’s end result over the Lakers solely added to his case. Wembanyama is the one participant left with a sensible path to catching him, however time is working out.
LeBron James pointed to the additional week the Lakers get earlier than the playoffs — no play-in, extra relaxation — as a cause to remain optimistic. That week solely issues if Dončić’s hamstring cooperates. The Lakers went 7-6 with out him in the course of the common season — sufficient to remain afloat, not sufficient to counsel they will compete with the convention’s high seeds over a seven-game sequence.
Gilgeous-Alexander goes to win his second consecutive MVP award. That was true earlier than Thursday’s tip-off, and it’s true now. What the following 72 hours settle is whether or not Dončić’s season will get counted in any respect — and that query, at this level, is the one one left price asking.
