The Los Angeles Lakers' star trio experienced yet another injury scare on Thursday, Feb. 5 when Luka Doncic went down with an apparent leg injury. It was a devastating development in a season that's already seen the Lakers play 25 games without Austin Reaves and 17 sans LeBron James.
Thankfully, there's reportedly "optimism" that Doncic avoided a severe injury and could thus return to action along a relatively short timeline.
Doncic played just 16 minutes against the Philadelphia 76ers on Feb. 5 before Lakers fans all over the world were forced to confront their greatest fears. In just the second game since Reaves returned from a near two-month stretch during which he appeared in just two outings, Doncic appeared to be hurt.
Thankfully, Dave McMenamin of ESPN has provided an update that should have Lakers fans breathing a sigh of relief: There's some level of belief that Doncic avoided a severe injury.
There is some initial optimism that Luka Doncic is not dealing with a major issue with his left hamstring, however the Lakers star is doubtful to play Saturday against the Golden State Warriors, sources told ESPN
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) February 6, 2026
Though there isn't yet a definitive timeline, the fact that Doncic is listed as doubtful and not out for a game that's just 24 hours away seemingly implies that he'll be back with plenty of time before the playoffs begin.
Lakers optimistic Luka Doncic avoided major injury against 76ers
Doncic has been playing at an MVP-caliber level during his first full season with the Lakers. He's currently averaging 32.8 points, 8.6 assists, 7.8 rebounds, 1.5 steals, and 3.5 three-point field goals made per game on .473/.345/.781 shooting.
If the season were to end today, Doncic would be taking home his second career scoring title and would finish the year ranked at No. 2 in the NBA in assists per game.
The unfortunate timing of the injury not only prevents the Lakers from finally pairing Doncic with his two star teammates, but disrupts his finest run of form of the 2025-26 season. Over the 16 games prior to the clash with the 76ers, he'd averaged 33.1 points on .501/.398/.733 shooting.
By comparison, Doncic had buried just 31.7 percent of his three-point field goals in the 25 games that preceded his recent surge in efficiency.
Thankfully, McMenamin's report implies that he'll be back on the court soon enough to avoid completely losing his momentum. The question will then become whether Doncic will be hindered by a nagging injury or if he'll be able to put it completely behind him.
Until that's known, Lakers fans can at least breathe easy knowing that it's believed that Doncic avoided a severe injury that could've kept him sidelined for an extended period of time.