![\"Luka](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1776355580_682_GettyImages-2268375997_e8fafc-e1776025601565.jpg\")
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Luka Doncic led the league in both PPG and total points<\/p>\n
Los Angeles Lakers<\/a> star Luka Doncic<\/a> received a significant boost just days before the team opens its first-round playoff series against the Houston Rockets<\/a>.<\/p>\n According to ESPN\u2019s Shams Charania, the NBA<\/a> and NBPA ruled in favor of Doncic\u2019s \u201cExtraordinary Circumstances Challenge,\u201d making him eligible for end-of-season awards despite falling short of the league\u2019s 65-game requirement.<\/p>\n \u201cJust in: The NBA and NBPA have ruled in favor of Lakers\u2019 Luka Doncic and Pistons<\/a>\u2018 Cade Cunningham<\/a> on their Extraordinary Circumstances Challenge for the 65-game award rule, making both eligible for all 2025-26 season honors such as MVP and All-NBA teams, sources tell ESPN,\u201d Charania reported<\/a> on X on Friday.<\/p>\n NBA Clears Luka Doncic for MVP, All-NBA Eligibility<\/p>\n The decision marks a key development for Doncic, whose award candidacy had been in doubt after he appeared in 64 games this season \u2014 one short of the threshold.<\/p>\n The league granted an exception after reviewing the circumstances surrounding his absences, including time missed for the birth of his child overseas<\/a> and his late-season injury.<\/p>\n As a result, Doncic is back in the MVP and All-NBA conversation following one of the most productive campaigns of his career.<\/p>\n How Luka Doncic Qualified Under NBA\u2019s \u2018Extraordinary Circumstances\u2019 Rule<\/p>\n The ruling is tied to a provision that allows exceptions to the 65-game requirement under specific conditions.<\/p>\n Under the NBA\u2019s \u201cExtraordinary Circumstances\u201d<\/a> clause, a player who falls short can still qualify for awards if an independent review determines it would be unjust to exclude him based on the nature of his absences.<\/p>\n In Doncic\u2019s case, those factors included time missed for the birth of his child overseas, along with his late-season injury.<\/p>\n The rule is designed to account for situations where a player would have otherwise reached the threshold if not for circumstances beyond his control \u2014 a standard the league ultimately determined Doncic met.<\/p>\n Doncic Wins Scoring Title in Historic Lakers Season<\/p>\n Despite missing the final stretch of the regular season, Doncic secured the NBA scoring title with 2,143 total points.<\/p>\n He averaged 33.5 points per game while also contributing 8.3 assists and 7.7 rebounds, becoming the first Lakers player to win the scoring title since Kobe Bryant in the 2006-07 season.<\/p>\n The milestone capped a dominant first full season in Los Angeles, where Doncic emerged as the focal point of the offense and helped guide the team to a top-four seed in the Western Conference.<\/p>\n Lakers Face Rockets With Luka Doncic Out, Timeline Unclear<\/p>\n While the award news provides a positive off-court update, Doncic\u2019s availability for the playoffs remains uncertain.<\/p>\n According to multiple reports, Doncic is flying back to Los Angeles on Friday after traveling to Spain to undergo platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and stem cell treatments on his strained left hamstring \u2014 a sign the team is exploring every option to accelerate his recovery.<\/p>\n Whether those treatments will allow him to return during the first round against the Rockets remains unclear.<\/p>\n The Lakers will open the series Saturday at Crypto.com Arena without Doncic, who suffered a Grade 2 left hamstring strain late in the regular season. He will also be without Austin Reaves<\/a>, who is dealing with a strained oblique.<\/p>\n Coach JJ Redick<\/a> offered little clarity<\/a> on their status earlier this week.<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019re out indefinitely,\u201d Redick said<\/a> following Tuesday\u2019s practice.<\/p>\n That uncertainty leaves the Lakers navigating the early part of the series without two of their primary playmakers.<\/p>\n Luka Doncic\u2019s Absence Looms Over NBA Playoffs<\/p>\n Even without Doncic, the Lakers enter the postseason with depth and momentum. But his absence creates an immediate challenge against a Rockets team built on physicality and rebounding.<\/p>\n Doncic\u2019s eventual return could prove decisive as the series unfolds, particularly in a tightly contested Western Conference matchup.<\/p>\n For now, the Lakers will have to manage without their leading scorer \u2014 even as the league\u2019s ruling ensures his regular-season brilliance will still be recognized when awards are handed out.<\/p>\n \n\t\t\tAlder Almo<\/a> is a veteran NBA reporter for Heavy.com, covering the New York Knicks, Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors. He brings over 20 years of experience across local and international media, including broadcast, print and digital. He previously covered the Knicks for Empire Sports Media and the NBA for Off the Glass. Originally from the Philippines, he is now based in Jersey City, New Jersey. More about Alder Almo<\/a>\t\t<\/p>\n \n\t\t\tMore Heavy on Lakers\n\t\t<\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\tLoading more stories\n\t\t<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Getty Luka Doncic led the league in both PPG and total points Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Doncic…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":711856,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3794],"tags":[7,292,194,4066,6,211],"class_list":{"0":"post-711855","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-houston-rockets","8":"tag-basketball","9":"tag-houston","10":"tag-houston-rockets","11":"tag-houstonrockets","12":"tag-nba","13":"tag-rockets"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nba\/116415246963789142","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/711855","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=711855"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/711855\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/711856"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=711855"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=711855"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=711855"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}