Luka Doncic hamstring injury: Live updates for Lakers superstar forward

The Los Angeles Lakers had a disastrous night against the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder, and the worst news was Luka Doncic injuring his hamstring. The Lakers were blown out, but the injury made it an absolute nightmare. He appeared to be favoring his hammy in the first half and made it worse in the third quarter. Number 77 was clearly upset leaving the court. With the playoffs just two weeks away, this couldn’t come at a worse time for the Lakers.

Doncic was quickly ruled out for the remainder of the game, but the contest was decided. The focus now shifts to his health for the most important games. The Lakers have zero shot in the playoffs without Luka. Hamstring injuries are notoriously difficult to recover from and easy to reinjure. Not what LA needs with the playoffs just around the corner.

Dave McMenamin was quick to say Luka will undergo an MRI on Friday to determine the severity of the injury. Things are clearly bad, and it will likely be a multigame absence for Luka at minimum. Here are the latest updates.

Luka Doncic suffers a hamstring injury in loss to Thunder

Updated (9:37 p.m. PT):

Jeff Stotts dropped an terrifying nugget for Lakers fans. Time missed to hamstring injuries is up over previous years, and the average time would put Luka out well into the first round of the playoffs. That would be a nightmare scenario for the Lakers, Doncic, and everyone involved.

Update (9:15 p.m. PT):

Head coach JJ Redick confirmed the Lakers are doing an MRI on Friday. Redick also revealed that there were conversations around resting the team's starters at halftime, but the head coach ultimately decided to give them six minutes in the second half.

Doncic's injury happened with 7:42 on the clock in the third quarter. If Redick is to believed, Luka would have been pulled from the game at the six-minute mark in the third quarter.

Luka was seen grabbing at his hamstring in the second quarter, but played through it. He was seen favoring it multiple times, but the Lakers needed their superstar to try to make a comeback.

Things went from bad to worse in the third quarter. Luka was clearly in pain and shaken up when leaving the court.

The Lakers were quick to rule him out for the remainder of the game. That was quickly followed up by McMenamin’s update.

Dr. Evan Jeffries was quick to note that Luka missed time earlier this season with a left hamstring injury. He noted the usual timelines that will likely cause Lakers fans to panic even more. A mild grade one strain likely keeps Luka out until the playoffs. Anything worse will cost him time in the postseason.

Luka Doncic is no stranger to soft tissue injuries. It had the Mavericks worried before the trade. This couldn't have happened at a worse time for the purple and gold. Luka was playing like the MVP and had the Lakers looking like a serious threat. That may all be over now if this hamstring injury is as bad as it looked.

This was horrible news for Luka Doncic at the worst possible time. There will be more updates, but all Los Angeles Lakers fans can do right now is hope for the best. It didn’t look good, but Doncic is a fast healer. The Lakers need him in the playoffs. Hopefully, number 77 is ready and can lead them on a deep run.