Luka Doncic has travelled to Spain to seek treatment for the hamstring injury he suffered on Thursday, hoping for a speedy recovery that can allow him to return for the play-offs and still opt for the MVP title: he needs to play at least one more match to be eligible for the individual title, which is being heavily disputed between Doncic, Nikola Jokic, Victor Wembanyama, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
According to Shams Charania from ESPN, Doncic went to Spain to undergo an injection procedure of regenerative therapies like stem cells, which are more accessible and less restrictive in Europe than in United States. He was given 4-6 weeks of recovery time, which would mean he would only return if Lakers reach the Conference Semi-finals. The 27-year-old wants to reduce it as much as possible to help his team in play-offs (and write his name in the MVP list).
According to BasketNews, other players have also sought treatment abroad, which does not violate the NBA rules. Players are free to choose their preferred medical decisions, as long as they don't involve banned substances. Doncic chose to treat himself in Spain, where he played for Real Madrid between 2015 and 2018.
Luka Doncic had been averaging 36.5 points on 49.3% shooting (39% from 3), 8.1 rebounds, 7.1 assists and 2.3 steals before the match against Oklahoma. He suffered the hamstring injury on Thursday, April 2, during the fourth quarter of a 139-96 defeat to Oklahoma City Thunder that ended a streak of 12 wins in 13 matches. Without Luka, the Lakers then lost 134-128 to Dallas Mavericks: there are four regular season games remaining, the last one this Sunday, but Lakers have already secured a play-off position.