The NBA approved Luka Doncic’s “Extraordinary Circumstances” challenge on Thursday, making him eligible for end-of-season awards. By giving Doncic some leeway, the LA Lakers superstar kept his status as one of the biggest MVP contenders.
However, Doncic failed to make the top 3 list of contenders despite dazzling opponents and fans in March. The league announced on Sunday that Victor Wembanyama, Nikola Jokic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander were the top players considered by voters for the Michael Jordan Trophy.
Fans reacted to Doncic failing to make even the top 3 of the list. One fan wrote:
“Bro didn’t start cooking until March. That’s pretty much end of season. It was too late.”
Another fan added:
“The no defense narrative around Luka is so overblown. … What are we doing here?”
One more fan continued:
“The people’s MVP. The real award has lost all of its prestige.”
Another fan commented:
“One month isn’t one season.”
One fan tweeted:
“He’s March MVP, not season MVP. Also plays next to LeBron.”
Luka Doncic’s best stretch was in March when he averaged an NBA-best 37.5 points, 8.0 rebounds, 7.4 assists and 2.3 steals per game. He shot 49.2%, including 39.2% from behind the arc. Doncic pushed the Lakers to the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference.
The Slovenian finished the season posting 33.5 ppg, 8.3 apg, 7.7 rpg and 1.6 spg. Without him to close the season due to a hamstring injury, the Lakers dropped to the No. 4 spot in their conference.
Despite failing to make the top 3, Luka Doncic is a heavy favorite to be named to an All-NBA team along with the MVP finalists.
Lakers Pulled off Game 1 Upset of Rockets Without Luka Doncic
The LA Lakers didn’t have Luka Doncic (hamstring) and Austin Reaves (oblique) when they hosted the Houston Rockets in Game 1 on Saturday. Doncic and Reaves remain uncertain to play in the series.
The Lakers got a break when they opened the series against the Rockets, who missed former MVP Kevin Durant (knee). Without KD, Houston struggled throughout the game to efficiently create open looks and make shots.
With Luka Doncic out, Luke Kennard stepped up to carry the scoring burden. The backup guard dropped a playoff career-high 27 points and added four rebounds and three assists. LeBron James posted 19 points, 13 assists, eight rebounds and two steals.
Following the Game 1 win, the series will extend to at least five games. The longer the series goes, the more chances Doncic and Reaves have of returning.
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