{"id":695777,"date":"2026-04-03T12:19:07","date_gmt":"2026-04-03T12:19:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/695777\/"},"modified":"2026-04-03T12:19:07","modified_gmt":"2026-04-03T12:19:07","slug":"luka-doncics-hamstring-injury-adds-to-a-brutal-night-for-lakers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/695777\/","title":{"rendered":"Luka Doncic’s hamstring injury adds to a brutal night for Lakers"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

From Thuc Nhi Nguyen<\/a>: The score wasn\u2019t the only thing that made this the Lakers<\/a>\u2019 worst loss of the season.<\/p>\n

Even more concerning than the Lakers\u2019 139-96 blowout loss<\/a> to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday was watching superstar guard Luka Doncic<\/a> hobble off the court with a left hamstring injury in the third quarter.<\/p>\n

The 27-year-old guard was held to just 12 points and seven assists, and he committed six turnovers before he pulled up on a drive with 7:39 left in the third quarter. He grabbed at the back of his left leg and limped to the baseline, where he lowered himself to the court, rolled onto his back and covered his face. Concerned teammates surrounded him. Coach JJ Redick<\/a> offered one hand to pull him to his feet.<\/p>\n

Go beyond the scoreboard <\/p>\n

Get the latest on L.A.’s teams in the daily Sports Report newsletter.<\/p>\n

By continuing, you agree to our Terms of Service<\/a>, which include arbitration and a class action waiver. You agree that we and our third-party vendors may collect and use your information, including through cookies, pixels and similar technologies, for the purposes set forth in our Privacy Policy<\/a> such as personalizing your experience and ads. <\/p>\n

Doncic will undergo an MRI scan Friday, Redick said, before the Lakers (50-27) play Doncic\u2019s former team, the Dallas Mavericks, on Sunday. In a subdued locker room, the Lakers were left to wrestle with their largest margin of defeat since Nov. 27, 2023 amid the possibility of having to finish the regular season without the NBA\u2019s leading scorer.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt this juncture of the season, it\u2019s the last thing you want to see,\u201d said LeBron James<\/a>, who had 13 points, six rebounds and two assists. \u201cEspecially \u2014 anybody on our team \u2014 but when you have an MVP candidate on your team, the last thing you want to see is somebody go down with a hamstring injury. … I don\u2019t know obviously what the case may be, so pray for the best for sure and a speedy recovery.\u201d<\/p>\n

Guard Austin Reaves<\/a> shook off his own injury scare to finish with 15 points, one assist and four turnovers after grabbing at his left lower back for most of the first quarter. He said he overextended himself chasing a loose ball. He turned the ball over trying to connect with Deandre Ayton on the next possession, reaching immediately for his lower back after the pass went awry.<\/p>\n

Continue reading here<\/a> <\/p>\n

Lakers-Thunder box score<\/a> <\/p>\n

NBA scores<\/a> <\/p>\n

NBA standings<\/a> <\/p>\n

UCLA women know it\u2019s all or nothing \"UCLA <\/p>\n

UCLA center Lauren Betts celebrates during a win over Duke in the Elite Eight of the NCAA women\u2019s basketball tournament on March 29.<\/p>\n

(Eric Thayer \/ Los Angeles Times)<\/p>\n

From Marisa Ingemi<\/a>: You\u2019d be forgiven if you thought this year\u2019s Final Four was just a case of d\u00e9j\u00e0 vu. <\/p>\n

On paper, that seems true \u2014 four No. 1 seeds who have dominated every round of the NCAA tournament<\/a> arrived in Phoenix this week and they are the same four teams who reached the Final Four last year in Tampa, Fla.<\/p>\n

Sustaining that level of success during the modern college basketball era, the four teams insist, isn\u2019t as easy. <\/p>\n

Connecticut doesn\u2019t have Paige Bueckers; South Carolina doesn\u2019t have Kamilla Cardoso; and UCLA coach Cori Close and the Bruins have a much different lineup.<\/p>\n

\u201cGetting here,\u201d UConn coach Geno Auriemma said, \u201cis the hard part.\u201d<\/p>\n

Continue reading here<\/a> <\/p>\n

NCAA women\u2019s basketball tournament bracket<\/a> <\/p>\n

UCLA gymnastics focused on staying calm, confident \"UCLA <\/p>\n

UCLA gymnast Mika Webster-Longin competes on the balance beam during the Big Four Gymnastics competition at Pauley Pavilion on Feb. 27.<\/p>\n

(Etienne Laurent \/ For The Times)<\/p>\n

From Anthony Solorzano<\/a>: The UCLA women\u2019s gymnastics team<\/a> enters the NCAA regionals on Friday in Corvallis, Ore., focused on three principles \u2014 calm, confidence and commitment to one another. The Bruins started leaning on the mantra to help them stay dialed in as they took home the Big Ten tournament title<\/a>, Mika Webster-Longin<\/a> said.<\/p>\n

Now, they will use it as they to push to reach the NCAA championship.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Big Ten win really feels good and helps our confidence going [into NCAA regionals],\u201d she said. \u201cIt felt great to put everything together because I feel like we really built off of one another and showed what we can do to not only the Big Ten competition, but to everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt gives us just the right amount of confidence going into regionals and then seeing where it takes us,\u201d Tiana Sumanasekera<\/a> said.<\/p>\n

Continue reading here<\/a> <\/p>\n

Kawhi Leonard and Clippers fall to Spurs \"Clippers <\/p>\n

Clippers star Kawhi Leonard, right, and coach Tyronn Lue react during the second half of a 118-99 loss to the San Antonio Spurs on Thursday.<\/p>\n

(Allen J. Schaben \/ Los Angeles Times)<\/p>\n

From the Associated Press<\/a>: De\u2019Aaron Fox scored 22 points on nine-of-13 shooting, and the San Antonio Spurs beat the Clippers 118-99<\/a> on Thursday night without Victor Wembanyama<\/a> in the lineup to win their 11th in a row.<\/p>\n

Wembanyama was rested on the second night of a back-to-back. He had 41 points and 18 rebounds in a 127-113 win at the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday.<\/p>\n

The Spurs (59-18) had six players in double figures, including Stephon Castle with 20 points and Dylan Harper with 19 off the bench.<\/p>\n

Continue reading here<\/a> <\/p>\n

Clippers-Spurs box score<\/a> <\/p>\n

Kings lose to Predators in eight-round shootout \"Nashville <\/p>\n

Nashville Predators forward Luke Evangelista scores the winning goal past Kings goaltender Darcy Kuemper in a shootout to secure a 5-4 win Thursday at Crypto.com Arena.<\/p>\n

(Jayne Kamin-Oncea \/ Associated Press)<\/p>\n

From the Associated Press<\/a>: Luke Evangelista<\/a> scored the only goal of the shootout in the eighth round, and the Nashville Predators tightened the Western Conference playoff race with a 5-4 win<\/a> over the Kings on Thursday night.<\/p>\n

Nashville, the Kings<\/a> and San Jos\u00e9 are now even with 79 points apiece<\/a> for the second wild-card playoff spot in the West, but the Sharks \u2014 who beat Toronto 4-1 earlier Thursday \u2014 have a game in hand.<\/p>\n

Steven Stamkos scored his 37th goal and Jonathan Marchessault ended his 14-game goal drought for the Predators, who snapped their three-game skid despite blowing a three-goal lead. Filip Forsberg and Zachary L\u2019Heureux also scored.<\/p>\n

Continue reading here<\/a> <\/p>\n

Kings-Predators box score<\/a> <\/p>\n

NHL scores<\/a> <\/p>\n

NHL standings<\/a> <\/p>\n

Bob Chesney grading Bruins on effort \"UCLA <\/p>\n

UCLA coach Bob Chesney leads the Bruins through their first spring football practice at Spaulding Field on Thursday.<\/p>\n

(Robert Gauthier \/ Los Angeles Times)<\/p>\n

From Anthony Solorzano<\/a>: UCLA football coach Bob Chesney<\/a> wasn\u2019t looking for star performances during the Bruins\u2019 first spring practice on Thursday \u2014 instead, he wanted his players to focus on holding themselves accountable for putting in their best effort.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe talk about the mirror test. Don\u2019t worry about what your coach says, don\u2019t worry about what your other teammates say,\u201d Chesney said. \u201cGo look at yourself in the mirror. That\u2019s really the only guy that\u2019s gonna know, right?\u201d<\/p>\n

There was excitement and intensity but perfection wasn\u2019t expected. For the new head coach, it was about whether the fundamentals UCLA worked on throughout the winter carried over, he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhile I watch it out here, the things that don\u2019t take skill, the things that don\u2019t take great genetics, were the things I wanted to focus on today more than anything \u2014 the effort,\u201d Chesney said.<\/p>\n

Continue reading here<\/a> <\/p>\n

Trevor Bauer set to pitch for Long Island Ducks \"A <\/p>\n

Diablos Rojos\u2019 Trevor Bauer pitches against New York Yankees during an exhibition game March 24, 2024, at Alfredo Harp Helu Stadium in Mexico City.<\/p>\n

(Fernando Llano \/ Associated Press)<\/p>\n

From Chuck Schilken<\/a>: Former Dodgers pitcher Trevor Bauer<\/a> will pitch for a U.S. team for the first time since 2021 when he serves as the opening day starter for the Long Island Ducks of the independent Atlantic League later this month.<\/p>\n

Since his last MLB start, on June 28, 2021, Bauer has been accused of sexual assault by four women. He denies all the allegations and has never been charged with a crime.<\/p>\n

After Bauer served a 194-game suspension<\/a> for violating the league\u2019s sexual assault and domestic violence policy, the Dodgers severed ties<\/a> with the 2020 National League Cy Young Award winner on Jan. 6, 2023, less than two years after signing him<\/a> to a three-year, $102-million contract.<\/p>\n

Continue reading here<\/a> <\/p>\n

Rams weigh future with Puka Nacua \"Puka <\/p>\n

Puka Nacua stands on the field during a win over the Detroit Lions at SoFi Stadium in December. Nacua\u2019s attorney announced Wednesday that the Rams wide receiver entered rehab last month. <\/p>\n

(Eric Thayer \/ Los Angeles Times)<\/p>\n

From Los Angeles Times staff<\/a>: Puka Nacua shattered Rams rookie records<\/a> after the wide receiver was selected in the fifth round<\/a> of the 2023 NFL draft.<\/p>\n

Nacua became known for his infectious enthusiasm and ability to catch almost anything Rams MVP quarterback Matthew Stafford<\/a> threw his way.<\/p>\n

Now Nacua, 24, finds himself at a crossroads, with his NFL production suggesting he\u2019s in line to sign a massive contract extension<\/a> but his off-field issues raising questions<\/a> about whether the Rams would be better off trading him. His attorney confirmed on Wednesday that Nacua began receiving treatment at a rehabilitation care facility<\/a> in March.<\/p>\n

Continue reading here<\/a> <\/p>\n

More details from Tiger Woods\u2019 arrest \"Tiger <\/p>\n

In this image from video provided by the Martin County, Fla., Sheriff\u2019s Office, golfer Tiger Woods is strapped into a police vehicle following a car crash in Jupiter Island, Fla., on March 27.<\/p>\n

(Associated Press)<\/p>\n

From the Associated Press<\/a>: After crashing his SUV<\/a> last week in Florida, Tiger Woods took out his phone and told a deputy, \u201cI was just talking to the president,\u201d according to body camera footage released Thursday showing Woods\u2019 arrest on a DUI charge<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The phone conversation was not captured on video, but Woods could be heard saying, \u201cThank you so much,\u201d as he hung up and the deputy approached. It wasn\u2019t clear if Woods was referring to President Trump<\/a>, whose former daughter-in-law, Vanessa Trump, is dating Woods<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Shortly after the golfer\u2019s March 27 arrest, Trump was asked about Woods and told reporters: \u201cI feel so badly. He\u2019s got some difficulty. Very close friend of mine. He\u2019s an amazing person. Amazing man. But, some difficulty.\u201d<\/p>\n

Continue reading here<\/a> <\/p>\n

This day in sports history<\/p>\n

1923 \u2014 \u201cBlack Sox\u201d sue White Sox (unsuccessfully) for back salary.<\/p>\n

1930 \u2014 The Montreal Canadiens win the NHL Stanley Cup with a two-game sweep of the Boston Bruins.<\/p>\n

1933 \u2014 Ken Doraty\u2019s overtime goal gives the Toronto Maple Leafs and 1-0 victory over the Boston Bruins in semifinals of the Stanley Cup playoffs. The goal comes at one hour, 44 minutes and 46 seconds of the overtime beyond the one-hour regulation game.<\/p>\n

1966 \u2014 P Tom Seaver signs with the NY Mets.<\/p>\n

1975 \u2014 Bobby Fischer stripped of world chess title for refusing to defend it, title awarded to Russian Anatoly Karpov.<\/p>\n

1977 \u2014 Jean Ratelle of the Boston Bruins scores his 1,000th point with an assist in a 7-4 triumph over the Toronto Maple Leafs.<\/p>\n

1982 \u2014 Buffalo\u2019s Gil Perrault scores his 1,000th point with an assist in a 5-4 victory over the Montreal Canadiens.<\/p>\n

1983 \u2014 2nd NCAA Women\u2019s Basketball Championship: USC beats Louisiana Tech, 69-67.<\/p>\n

1987 \u2014 Chicago Cubs trade Dennis Eckersley to Oakland A\u2019s.<\/p>\n

1988 \u2014 Louisiana Tech wins the NCAA women\u2019s basketball championship with a 56-54 come-from-behind victory over Auburn.<\/p>\n

1988 \u2014 Amy Alcott shoots a 1-under 71 to win the Dinah Shore by two shots over Colleen Walker.<\/p>\n

1988 \u2014 Mario Lemieux wins NHL scoring title, stopping Gretzky\u2019s 7 year streak.<\/p>\n

1989 \u2014 Michigan beats Seton Hall 80-79 in overtime to win the NCAA basketball championship. Rumeal Robinson hits two free throws with three seconds left for the Wolverines. It\u2019s the first time that a first-year coach, Steve Fisher, wins the national title.<\/p>\n

1991 \u2014 Bo Jackson signs 1-year contract with Chicago White Sox.<\/p>\n

1993 \u2014 For the first time in its 157-year history, the Grand National steeplechase is declared void because of a false start. Esha Ness crosses the line first, but most of the jockeys are unaware a false start is called and the majority of the 39-horse field continue the 4\u00bd-mile race around the Aintree course even though nine stay behind at the start line.<\/p>\n

1994 \u2014 Charlotte Smith\u2019s 3-pointer at the buzzer gives North Carolina a 60-59 victory over Louisiana Tech in the NCAA women\u2019s basketball championship game.<\/p>\n

1995 \u2014 UCLA wins its first national basketball championship in 20 years and record 11th NCAA title, keeping Arkansas from repeating with an 89-78 victory.<\/p>\n

1996 \u2014 St Francis Fighting Saints scores college baseball run record with 71.<\/p>\n

2000 \u2014 62nd NCAA Men\u2019s Basketball Championship: Michigan State beats Florida, 89-76.<\/p>\n

2004 \u2014 St. Louis clinches its 25th consecutive NHL playoff berth, the longest in major league sports, with a 4-1 win over Nashville.<\/p>\n

2006 \u2014 Joakim Noah dominates UCLA with 16 points, nine rebounds and a record seven blocks to key a 73-57 blowout for Florida\u2019s first national title in men\u2019s basketball.<\/p>\n

2006 \u2014 Steve Yzerman scores his final NHL goal (#692).<\/p>\n

2007 \u2014 After a nine-year title drought, Tennessee and coach Pat Summitt are NCAA champions. The Lady Vols capture an elusive seventh national title, beating Rutgers 59-46.<\/p>\n

2010 \u2014 Bernard Hopkins wins a brutal unanimous decision over Roy Jones Jr. in their long-delayed rematch, emphatically avenging his loss in the famed champions\u2019 first fight nearly 17 years earlier.<\/p>\n

2012 \u2014 Brittney Griner scores 26 points and grabs 13 rebounds to help Baylor finish off an undefeated season with an 80-61 win over Notre Dame in the women\u2019s national championship game. Baylor becomes the first team in NCAA history to win 40 games.<\/p>\n

2017 \u2014 Justin Jackson delivers the go-ahead three-point play and North Carolina scores the last eight points for a 71-65 win over Gonzaga and an NCAA title that heartbreakingly eluded the Tar Heels last year. It\u2019s an ugly game, filled with 44 fouls and 52 free throws. Carolina was down 2 with 1:40 left when Jackson took a pass under the bucket from Theo Pinson, made a layup and got fouled. The free throw made it 66-65, and after a Gonzaga miss on the other end, Isaiah Hicks made a shot to help North Carolina start pulling away to the school\u2019s sixth title.<\/p>\n

2019 \u2014 San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich is ejected after an NBA record low 63 seconds in the Spurs 113-85 loss in Denver; receives 2 technical fouls in a verbal confrontation with a referee.<\/p>\n

Compiled by the Associated Press.<\/p>\n

Until next time…<\/p>\n

That concludes today\u2019s newsletter. If you have any feedback, ideas for improvement or things you\u2019d like to see, email me at houston.mitchell@latimes.com<\/a>. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"From Thuc Nhi Nguyen: The score wasn\u2019t the only thing that made this the Lakers\u2019 worst loss of…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":695778,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3789],"tags":[2097,7,559,2931,8695,4056,4034,192,4032,300,251,135,1651,4033,4031,6,67,8694,8697,396,1063,991,5200,8693,8696],"class_list":{"0":"post-695777","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-los-angeles-clippers","8":"tag-associated-press","9":"tag-basketball","10":"tag-clippers","11":"tag-dodgers","12":"tag-jason-preston","13":"tag-kings","14":"tag-la","15":"tag-la-clippers","16":"tag-laclippers","17":"tag-lakers","18":"tag-los-angeles","19":"tag-los-angeles-clippers","20":"tag-los-angeles-times","21":"tag-losangeles","22":"tag-losangelesclippers","23":"tag-nba","24":"tag-news","25":"tag-sandy-alcantara","26":"tag-taylor-fritz","27":"tag-team","28":"tag-teams","29":"tag-times","30":"tag-tuesday","31":"tag-ucla-olympic-sports","32":"tag-wimbledon"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nba\/116340747165772687","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/695777","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=695777"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/695777\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/695778"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=695777"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=695777"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=695777"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}