Lakers Breathe Easy as Luka Dončić Injury Deemed Minor, Day-to-Day
The Los Angeles Lakers got a much-needed dose of good news Saturday night amid a tense stretch of the season. Concerns had briefly swirled around Luka Dončić’s status after he exited Thursday’s game against the Philadelphia 76ers with what was initially labeled as left leg soreness. But ahead of the Lakers’ matchup with the Golden State Warriors, general manager Rob Pelinka addressed the media and helped calm the waters.
According to Pelinka, an MRI revealed that Dončić is dealing with a mild left hamstring strain-nothing more. No long-term issues.
No looming rehab timeline. Just a day-to-day situation.
“The good news is it doesn’t appear to be anything serious,” Pelinka said. “It was a mild hamstring strain, and he is truly day-to-day.”
That’s a sigh of relief not just for the Lakers, but for anyone who’s watched Dončić take over games this season with his signature blend of power, poise, and playmaking brilliance.
The injury came just 14 minutes into Thursday’s game, when Dončić left the floor and didn’t return. While the initial diagnosis was vague, the follow-up MRI on Friday gave the Lakers some clarity-and more importantly, confidence that this won’t be a lingering issue.
Pelinka also took a moment to praise Dončić’s mindset, noting that the superstar guard is the kind of player who always wants to be out there, even when he’s banged up. And that tracks with what we’ve seen from Dončić throughout his career.
He’s a gamer. He plays through contact, through fatigue, through double-teams.
Sitting out-even for a few games-isn’t in his DNA unless it’s absolutely necessary.
Still, with the All-Star break just around the corner, the Lakers appear to be leaning toward caution. And that’s probably the smart play.
The team faces a tough stretch before the break, including matchups with the Thunder, Spurs, and Mavericks. Resting Dončić now could give him nearly two full weeks to heal up without risking further strain.
Of course, the injury news doesn’t exist in a vacuum. Dončić’s availability-or lack thereof-could have ripple effects in the standings.
The Lakers are hovering near the Play-In line, and every win matters. But bigger picture?
Ensuring Dončić is at full strength down the stretch is far more important than pushing him through a few February games.
While his health is the immediate focus, Dončić’s impact this season is still fueling some heated MVP discussions. Despite leading the league in scoring and dragging the Lakers into playoff contention, he’s often been left out of the top tier of MVP candidates-largely because of where the Lakers sit in the standings.
But that narrative is starting to get challenged. Candace Parker recently made a pointed comparison on-air, warning voters not to fall into the trap of taking greatness for granted.
“Don’t Kobe, Luka,” she said, referencing how Kobe Bryant-despite years of dominance-only walked away with one MVP award. “Don’t just get bored with greatness.
Luka Dončić is a beast, and I feel like to some extent, we overlook greatness because you see it for an extended period of time.”
It’s a fair point. Through 42 games, Dončić is averaging 32.8 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 8.6 assists-numbers that stack up with just about any MVP season in recent memory. He’s not just putting up stats; he’s doing it while carrying a team that’s been inconsistent around him.
So while the Lakers will be monitoring that hamstring closely, the bigger story might be this: Luka Dončić is still very much in the thick of the MVP race, whether the standings reflect it or not. And if this minor injury truly is just that-a blip-he’ll have plenty of time to remind everyone why he belongs in that conversation.