Luka Dončić’s Los Angeles Lakers are hosting his former team, the Dallas Mavericks, on Thursday at Crypto.com Arena.
However, the six-time All-Star isn’t in LA’s lineup as he continues to work his way back from a left hamstring strain.
Latest on Luka Dončić’s Injury Recovery After Being Ruled Out for Mavericks-Lakers Clash
On Wednesday, LA announced that Dončić would miss Thursday’s Mavericks showdown, marking his fourth straight absence.
The 26-year-old initially exited the Lakers’ 119-115 home win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Feb. 5 early after coming up hobbling in the first half and didn’t return. After first being diagnosed with left leg soreness, a subsequent MRI revealed that he suffered a mild hamstring strain, sidelining him ever since.
However, per ESPN’s Dave McMenamin, Dončić “is still progressing in his rehab and hopes to be able to make an appearance in Sunday’s NBA All-Star Game for the World Team.”
Such a scenario would position him to return to LA’s lineup right after the All-Star break for his team’s Feb. 20 home showdown against its crosstown rival, the Los Angeles Clippers.
Lakers’ Record Without Dončić This Season
In the meantime, the Lakers (32-21) will have to survive at least one more contest without their top player.
Through 11 outings with the 2024 NBA scoring champion out of commission, they have mustered a meager 5-6 record. This includes two straight losses, most recently getting blown out 136-108 in Tuesday’s home matchup against the San Antonio Spurs, with stars LeBron James (foot) and Austin Reaves (calf) also out.
Conversely, LA has gone 27-15 with Dončić available, with the offensive maestro posting averages of 32.8 points, 7.8 rebounds, 8.6 assists, 1.5 steals, and 3.5 3-pointers per game, shooting 47.3% overall.
With Dončić on the shelf, the excitement for Thursday’s primetime clash has been severely dampened. The same goes for Mavericks rookie phenom Cooper Flagg’s omission.
The 2025 No. 1 pick is out with a left midfoot sprain, which will also keep him sidelined for Friday’s NBA Rising Stars Game at All-Star Weekend. Flagg has been one of the rare bright spots for Dallas (19-34), which enters Thursday looking to snap an eight-game losing skid amid what is shaping up to be a lost season.
The versatile forward has given Mavericks fans reason for hope as they continue to come to grips with their team’s head-scratching decision to ship Dončić to LA last February.
Since joining the Lakers at last season’s trade deadline, Dončić has gone 4-0 against Dallas, though he will have to wait for his next opportunity to exact revenge against his ex-squad.
