What was meant to be a statement night — a confirmation of the best form in the league and a spectacle for Los Angeles Lakers fans — quickly unraveled into a nightmare, as they were blown out 139–96 by the Oklahoma City Thunder .
Beyond the fact that the reigning champions, OKC, dismantled the Purple & Gold squad for the fourth straight time, this one a 43-point humiliation and part of a brutal -26.7 average point differential during that span, the darkest moment in a night full of bad news came with Luka Doncic going down with a hamstring injury.
After the official update, the Slovenian guard will miss the remainder of the regular season, which is a massive blow to the Lakers' ambitions of securing the third seed in the West — a position that would allow them to avoid the Thunder until the Western Conference finals.
Additionally, Luka Magic has played 64 games, and even the slightest risk of aggravating the injury makes it hard to envision the NBA's leading scorer returning before the playoffs. That would leave him in the same position as Anthony Edwards and Cade Cunningham — both also stuck at 64 games.
We are talking about three MVP-caliber guards who had legitimate chances to earn First Team All-NBA honors, but as things stand, Doncic will likely fall short of both his first MVP award, which already seemed unlikely and his second scoring title.
It's an unfortunate turn of events for a player who was playing the best basketball of his life after the All-Star break, breaking numerous records, most notably surpassing the points record for a Laker in a single calendar month, previously held by the late Kobe Bryant .
While the Lakers' main goal remains the Larry O'Brien Trophy, it's hard not to wonder whether we will ever see Luka holding the Michael Jordan Trophy, because it's hard to imagine an individual season better than this one.
Of course, Luka is just entering his prime, and he already has several historic seasons behind him. It's reasonable to expect this level of production to continue for at least the next five years, which will for sure keep Doncic in MVP conversations.
However, the fact remains that, after his eighth NBA season, the Slovenian had only one top-three MVP finish to his name, and given the wave of rising stars, the question naturally arises: Will he ever actually win the award?
The Thunder, San Antonio Spurs and Detroit Pistons are emerging as the league's next powerhouses, led by young stars like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander , Victor Wembanyama and Cunningham.
If injuries don't stand in their way, these teams look poised to take control of their respective conferences for years to come and the most ominous part? They're only just entering their primes.
We also cannot overlook the Boston Celtics , who, led by Jayson Tatum , should remain contenders for several more seasons, while it remains to be seen how the careers of Cooper Flagg and Edwards will develop.
At the same time, established MVP names like Nikola Jokic , Giannis Antetokounmpo and Joel Embiid are still in their prime, but are all approaching the back end of their careers and their domination is expected to fade within the next couple of seasons.
That transition is already visible in the cases of LeBron James , Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry , suggesting that the MVP race in the coming years could become more clearly defined.
That being said, there's no doubt that JJ Redick 's team, with Luka playing at this level, will remain competitive in the Western Conference. However, this is now the second consecutive season in which the 6-foot-8 guard may be ineligible for postseason awards due to injuries, raising concerns about his conditioning.
Even if everything breaks perfectly for the rest of his career, the thought of what Wemby could become is downright intimidating. At the same time, SGA's current dominance feels almost limitless, as if there's no true ceiling to his game and with their teams only set to get better, the future of the league may already be taking shape in front of our eyes.
None of this guarantees that a player like Doncic cannot rise above it all with his otherworldly performances and eventually secure at least one MVP award. But as things stand, that task will only become more difficult with each passing year.
After years of Jokic's dominance, many expected Doncic to take over from his Balkan counterpart. However, in the meantime, a new generation of stars has emerged, ensuring that the league is in great hands for years to come.
If one thing is certain, it's that the league is on the brink of unforgettable MVP battles, as a new generation of talent pushes the ceiling higher than ever before.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Apr 5, 2026, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
