Luka Doncic Out With Grade 2 Hamstring, Lakers Reeling

Luka Dončić will miss the rest of the regular season and possibly more with a Grade 2 left hamstring strain, a setback that pushed the Lakers’ title odds from 30-1 to 125-1, per FanDuel. Dončić, averaging 33.5 points, 8.3 assists and 7.7 rebounds, injured the hamstring in a rout at Oklahoma City, and L.A., already playoff-bound, now faces crucial seeding and momentum questions without its leading scorer. Merlin sees a short, sharp pivot ahead. The club will lean on LeBron James and Austin Reaves, hope Marcus Smart returns, and ride deeper minutes from Luke Kennard, who played 33 minutes against OKC. With an average return timetable of "three-to-six weeks," Dončić might miss the start of the postseason, altering the Lakers’ ceiling even if he returns later.