Sports
Lakers star Luka Doncic suffers hamstring injury in reality-check loss to Thunder
OKLAHOMA CITY — The score wasn’t the only thing that made this the Lakers’ worst loss of the season.
Even more concerning than the Lakers’ 139-96 blowout loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday was watching superstar guard Luka Doncic hobble off the court with a left hamstring injury in the third quarter.
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 offered one hand to pull him to his feet.
Doncic will undergo an MRI scan Friday, Redick said, before the Lakers (50-27) play Doncic’s 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’s leading scorer.
“At this juncture of the season, it’s the last thing you want to see,” said LeBron James, who had 13 points, six rebounds and two assists. “Especially — anybody on our team — 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’t know obviously what the case may be, so pray for the best for sure and a speedy recovery.”
Guard Austin Reaves 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.
The Lakers had averaged just 12.6 turnovers per game since the All-Star break — the third-fewest in the NBA during that span — but committed 18 against the aggressive Thunder (61-16), who had 12 steals. The Lakers had eight turnovers in the first quarter, gifting the defending NBA champions 14 easy points and a 23-point first-quarter lead.
“That’s the game right there,” James said.
Doncic had just five points in the first quarter. He was one for six from the field. With 1:06 remaining in the second quarter, Doncic drove into the paint to fire a two-handed overhead pass to Luke Kennard for a corner three. As Kennard’s shot circled the rim and bounced out, Doncic grabbed at his left hamstring.
Doncic and Reaves were examined and treated at halftime and cleared to play, Redick said. Reaves returned with 9:40 remaining in the third quarter and grabbed his back after his first touch, but said after the game he felt “decent.”
With the Lakers (50-27) down 31 points at halftime, Redick said the plan was to give the banged-up stars about six minutes to see if they could cut into the lead.
Doncic was injured 4:21 into the third quarter. The Lakers were down 32.
“We’re not going to put a player at risk,” Redick said. “Those things happen.”
Oklahoma City star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, center, drives past Lakers star Luka Doncic during the first half Thursday.
(Cooper Neill / Getty Images)
Doncic missed four games because of a left hamstring injury in February and played through hamstring soreness against the Brooklyn Nets on March 27 as the Lakers put together a 15-2 record in March.
One of the only teams hotter than the Lakers entering Thursday was the Thunder, who had won 15 of their last 16 games. Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander dominated in the much-anticipated matchup of most valuable player contenders with 28 points on efficient 12-for-25 shooting in less than 30 minutes, with seven assists and seven rebounds.
Doncic recently surged into the MVP conversation after scoring 600 points last month, joining Michael Jordan as the only players in NBA history to achieve the feat in March. He was named Western Conference player of the month Thursday, adding another line to his MVP application.
But after limping off the court, Doncic is at risk of not being eligible for the coveted award. He played in his 64th game Thursday, needing one more appearance in the Lakers’ final five games, to reach the 65-game eligibility threshold.
Sports
Thunder erase 15-point deficit to take series lead over Spurs as Victor Wembanyama’s 26 points fall short
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Through the first two games of the Western Conference Finals, Spurs star Victor Wembanyama has produced numbers not seen at this stage of the postseason in roughly 50 years.
As the series shifted to San Antonio for Game 3 on Friday, the French basketball phenom once again led the Spurs in scoring. But his 26-point performance was not enough to give San Antonio a 2-1 series lead over the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder.
Reigning back-to-back NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander matched Wembanyama with 26 points, leading Oklahoma City to a 123-108 victory.
San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama shoots the ball against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the second half of game three of the Western Conference finals at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas, on May 22, 2026. (Daniel Dunn/Imagn Images)
Shortly after Game 2 on Wednesday, Spurs guard Stephon Castle acknowledged that his team is “probably most comfortable playing in front of our fans.” San Antonio quickly backed up that sentiment in Game 3, jumping out to a 15-0 lead in its first home game of the series.
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Just five minutes into the contest, the Spurs held a commanding 19-4 advantage as the home crowd created a raucous atmosphere.
Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs reacts during the fourth quarter against the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game Three of the NBA Western Conference Finals at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas, on May 22, 2026. (Alex Slitz/Getty Images)
But Oklahoma City’s bench played a pivotal role in the comeback that ultimately gave the Thunder a critical series lead. Alex Caruso, Jaylin Williams, Jared McCain and Cason Wallace were widely credited with helping swing the game.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder drives to the basket past Julian Champagnie of the San Antonio Spurs during the second quarter in Game Three of the NBA Western Conference Finals at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas, on May 22, 2026. (Alex Slitz/Getty Images)
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The Spurs took Game 1 behind 41 points and 24 rebounds from Wembanyama, and the defending champion Thunder got 30 points from Gilgeous-Alexander on the way to getting a victory in Game 2.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Sports
City Section baseball finals: Friday scores, Saturday schedule
CITY SECTION BASEBALL FINALS
FRIDAY’S RESULTS
At Stengel Field
DIVISION II
#5 LA Roosevelt 5, #6 South East 3
At Fremont
DIVISION III
#7 Fremont 2, LA Hamilton 0
SATURDAY’S SCHEDULE
At Dodger Stadium
FINALS
OPEN DIVISION
#2 El Camino Real (21-9) vs. #1 Birmingham (26-4), 1 p.m.
DIVISION I
#10 Taft (13-17) vs. #13 Verdugo Hills (13-18), 10 a.m.
Sports
Giants’ key defensive tackle tears Achilles tendon during practice, out for the season: reports
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The New York Giants lost a key piece of their defensive line for the season on Thursday.
Defensive tackle Roy Robertson-Harris tore his Achilles tendon during the Giants’ OTA practice, according to multiple reports.
Robertson-Harris, 32, was in line for a big role after the Giants traded star defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence to the Cincinnati Bengals earlier in the offseason. He started all 17 games last year and played 56% of the snaps, which was second only to Lawrence among defensive tackles.
New York Giants defensive tackle Roy Robertson-Harris leaves the field after a loss to the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field in Chicago, Ill., on Nov. 9, 2025. (David Banks/Imagn Images)
Robertson-Harris suffered the injury while rushing the passer in an 11-on-11 period. He went down and immediately grabbed at his leg, according to The Athletic.
The Giants signed Robertson-Harris to a two-year, $9 million contract before last season. He had 35 tackles and three tackles for loss in 17 games last season.
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New York Giants defensive tackle Roy Robertson-Harris warms up before the game against the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium in Paradise, Nev., on Dec. 28, 2025. (Kirby Lee/Imagn Images)
The Giants, whose defensive tackle group was already thin because of the Lawrence trade, will be forced to rely on a mix of veterans and young players. The team signed veterans DJ Reader and Shelby Harris in free agency.
Reader started all 17 games for the Detroit Lions last season and played the run well, recording 28 tackles. Harris played in 17 games, starting five, for the Cleveland Browns last season and recorded 32 tackles, seven tackles for loss and a sack.
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New York Giants defensive tackle Roy Robertson-Harris and defensive lineman Bobby Jamison-Travis participate in a drill during organized team activities at Quest Diagnostics Training Center in East Rutherford, N.J., on May 21, 2026. (John Jones/Imagn Images)
Darius Alexander, the Giants’ third-round pick last season, will also be counted on to pick up some of the slack from Robertson-Harris’ and Lawrence’s absences. The 25-year-old played in 16 games, recording 20 tackles with four tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks.
The Giants drafted Bobby Jamison-Travis in the sixth round out of Auburn in last month’s NFL Draft.
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