Luka Doncic, Lakers
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Luka Doncic of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts after shooting a three-point basket.
The Los Angeles Lakers will again be forced to adjust without their franchise star.
Luka Dončić is expected to miss his third consecutive game Tuesday night when the Lakers host the San Antonio Spurs, according to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. The matchup comes on the second night of a back-to-back after a deflating 119–110 loss to the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder, who also played without reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
“So that is just the hamstring issue,” McMenamin said Tuesday on SportsCenter. “Even though it’s considered a mild strain, he’s never really dealt with a hamstring issue before in his eight-year NBA career, so the rehab is new to him.”
Dončić Pushing to Return Before All-Star Game
Despite the continued absence, there is optimism that Dončić could return before the NBA All-Star break.
McMenamin reported that Dončić ran Monday and planned to participate in five-on-five contact work Tuesday, keeping Thursday’s game against his former team, the Dallas Mavericks, firmly in play.
“Thursday against Dallas is not out of the question,” McMenamin said. “Luka has aspirations of getting back on the court with the Lakers and then returning for the All-Star Game.”
Dončić was voted an All-Star starter for the sixth time and, for the first time in his career, finished as the league’s leading vote-getter, receiving more than 3.4 million votes. The milestone carries significance for the 26-year-old.
“That’s meaningful to him, to be out there on the court to represent his fans,” McMenamin said.
Lakers’ Position Tightens Without Their Star
Monday’s loss dropped Los Angeles to 32–20 on the season and 5–5 in games without Dončić. Entering Tuesday, the Lakers trail the Houston Rockets by half a game for the No. 4 seed and sit one game behind the Denver Nuggets for third place in the Western Conference.
The jockeying for playoff positioning adds urgency to Dončić’s timeline, even as the organization remains cautious with a muscle injury that can easily worsen if rushed.
In 42 games, Dončić is averaging a league-leading 32.8 points, along with 7.8 rebounds, 8.6 assists, and 1.5 steals, while shooting 47.3 percent from the field and 34.5 percent from three-point range in 35.5 minutes per night.
Candace Parker: Dončić Is Being “Kobe’d” in MVP Race
While Dončić remains sidelined, the conversation around his standing in the league has intensified.
Former WNBA superstar Candace Parker argued that Dončić should be the NBA MVP frontrunner, suggesting that voter fatigue — not performance — is working against him.
Appearing on the podcast Cousins with Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady, Parker warned against what she described as complacency with sustained greatness.
“Don’t Kobe Luka,” Parker said. “Don’t get bored with greatness. Luka Dončić is a beast, and I feel like, to some extent, we overlook greatness because you see it for an extended period of time.”
Parker’s comments resonated, given her own résumé. The former No. 1 overall pick spent 13 seasons with the Los Angeles Sparks, winning Rookie of the Year and two MVP awards, and understands how prolonged excellence can paradoxically dull perception.
“What Luka is doing, we cannot get bored with that,” Parker said. “If you win MVP, it’s this year.”
Bigger Picture for Lakers and Dončić
For now, the Lakers are balancing competitive urgency with long-term prudence. Hamstring injuries can be deceptively tricky, particularly for a player whose game demands constant acceleration, deceleration, and physical contact.
Whether Dončić returns Thursday against Dallas or waits until after the All-Star break, Los Angeles remains acutely aware of what is at stake — both in the standings and in protecting a generational talent whose brilliance has become, in Parker’s words, dangerously easy to take for granted.