The NBA’s 65-game rule has turned the 2025–26 awards season into a minefield. Anthony Edwards became officially ineligible on Thursday after missing his 17th game. Cade Cunningham, recovering from a collapsed lung, can’t reach the threshold with Detroit’s season winding down. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Stephen Curry, and LeBron James were eliminated from consideration weeks ago.
Now, Luka Dončić sits at 64 games after suffering a left hamstring injury Thursday night in Oklahoma City. One game short of the magic number, the league’s leading scorer faces the possibility of winning a scoring title he can’t even be recognized for on an All-NBA ballot. Amid this mess, ESPN’s Tim Bontemps offered a potential lifeline for Dončić’s candidacy.
How an ‘Extraordinary Circumstances’ Grievance Could Save Luka Dončić’s MVP Hopes
Bontemps reported on SportsCenter that Dončić has one avenue to remain eligible for end-of-season awards. “As I just reported on @SportsCenter, there is one way Luka Doncic can be eligible for end-of-season awards: by filing an extraordinary circumstances grievance over missing two games in December over the birth of his child,” Bontemps wrote on X. “An arbitrator would rule on it after the regular season.”
“There is at least a path where [Luka Doncic] could be eligible to be on MVP ballots.”@TimBontemps says Luka Doncic can still be eligible for MVP by filing an extraordinary circumstances grievance, regardless of the NBA’s 65-game rule. pic.twitter.com/JWU7VJlXNB
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) April 3, 2026
The CBA includes language allowing players to file grievances claiming that “extraordinary circumstances” beyond their control contributed to missed games. Dončić missed the Lakers’ games against Toronto and Boston in early December to travel to Slovenia for the birth of his second daughter, Olivia. Those two games would push him to 66 appearances for the season if an arbitrator ruled in his favor.
The timing of Thursday’s injury couldn’t have been worse. Dončić first felt discomfort in his left hamstring late in the first half against the Thunder. coach JJ Redick said the staff evaluated him at halftime and cleared him to continue.
He aggravated the injury midway through the third quarter, planting his left leg while driving against Jalen Williams before collapsing to the floor in visible pain. The Lakers were already trailing 90-58 when Dončić walked off. He finished with 12 points on 3-for-10 shooting in 26 minutes.
Before Thursday’s debacle, Dončić was putting together one of the best individual seasons in recent memory. He averaged 37.5 points, 8.0 rebounds, 7.4 assists, and 2.3 steals in March, earning Western Conference Player of the Month honors.
He became just the 10th player in NBA history to score 600 points in a calendar month. His 33.5 scoring average leads the league by nearly two full points over Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
Dončić pulled a leg sleeve over his left hamstring before limping to the team bus. The Lakers play the Mavericks next.
As reported by ESPN’s Shams Charania, Dončić is scheduled to undergo an MRI on Friday in Dallas, with results expected later in the day. The severity of the strain will determine whether he can suit up for at least one more game before the regular season concludes on April 12.
