The dream season for Luka Doncic and the Los Angeles Lakers has turned into a real race against time.
After an MRI confirmed a grade two strain of the left hamstring, the Slovenian ace, in agreement with the “Lakers” medical team, made the decision to seek help on the Old Continent.
His agent, Bill Duffy, confirmed to the American media that Doncic traveled to Europe to undergo treatments with top specialists, in hopes of shortening the recovery period which usually lasts at least a month.
The injury occurred at the worst possible moment, during a convincing defeat against Oklahoma (139:96). Before this setback, Doncic dominated the league, achieving statistics that placed him in the narrowest circle of candidates for the MVP award, which he ultimately cannot receive due to the injury because he does not meet the requirement of a minimum of 65 games.
Although the regular season is over for him, the key question for the LA franchise is whether Luka will be ready for April 18, when the first round of the playoffs begins.
That misfortune never comes alone was confirmed by Austin Reaves’ diagnosis. The team’s second-leading scorer also ended the regular season due to a grade two injury of the left abdominal muscle. The forecasts for Reaves are even bleaker, as sources close to the club mention a break of four to six weeks, which could mean that the Lakers will have to play the first round of the playoffs without one of their most reliable players.
Although the Lakers (50-28) have already secured the playoffs, the loss to Dallas (134:128) showed how much they lack the creativity of the injured duo. They are currently in third place in the West, but the remaining four games are not in their favor at all.
Doncic’s departure to Europe is not an unusual move for NBA stars in critical moments. Many athletes in such situations rely on specific recovery methods, such as blood plasma treatments or working with famous physiotherapists, in order to cheat nature and return to the court earlier than classical medicine predicts.
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Source: Nova.rs; Photo: Printscreen X