Lakers just made the same Luka Doncic mistake that nearly cost the Mavericks

On Thursday night, the Los Angeles Lakers were dealt an unthinkable blow to Luka Doncic. He went down with a Grade 2 left hamstring strain in the third quarter while they were losing by 32 points to the Oklahoma City Thunder on the road, and Luka fans aren't going to want to hear how long he'll be out.

This injury will cause Doncic to miss the rest of the regular season, and he'll be out indefinitely with the NBA Playoffs two weeks away. This was the worst possible thing that could've happened to the Lakers and Doncic, especially given their place in the standings and how well he's been playing, and the Dallas Mavericks unfortunately know exactly what Los Angeles is going through right now.

Dallas learned this Luka Doncic lesson in 2022

In 2022, Doncic suffered a left calf strain in Dallas' regular-season finale against the San Antonio Spurs at the American Airlines Center. This untimely injury caused him to miss the first three games of their first-round series against the Utah Jazz.

While the Mavericks still found a way to beat Utah in the series and advance all the way to the Western Conference Finals, Doncic getting injured was the last thing that they needed — and it was preventable.

Dallas was up by 20 points when Doncic went down, and their place in the standings was all but locked up heading into this game against San Antonio.

The Golden State Warriors, the team the Mavericks trailed in the standings for the No. 3 seed by one game, were playing the New Orleans Pelicans. New Orleans rested many of their starters in this game, as they were guaranteed to be the No. 9 seed in the Play-In Tournament, regardless of the outcome.

With all of this being said, Doncic likely shouldn't have even been playing at that point in the third quarter. It was mathematically impossible for Dallas to drop in the standings, as they were locked in to play the Jazz if Golden State beat New Orleans, and they needed to prioritize the health of their 23-year-old superstar. He was their only chance of making a deep playoff run, and the Mavericks could've jeopardized that if his injury was serious.

They were looking to capitalize on home-court advantage in the playoffs for the first time since 2011, and that dream could've been obliterated if Doncic missed more time.

Doncic's injury changes everything for the Lakers

Now, four years later, the Lakers are in a similar situation. Doncic's hamstring strain is obviously more severe than the calf strain that he suffered as a Maverick, but the timing and circumstances have a resemblance.

Los Angeles was already out of the game, and Doncic suffered a non-contact injury. Lakers fans' stomachs hit the floor after seeing Doncic hobble off the floor, and his status will ultimately determine their fate.

If Doncic can return at some point in the NBA Playoffs, the Lakers have a shot at making a deep run.

If not, they're going to be in serious trouble.

The Lakers can't compete with other top teams in the Western Conference without their superstar, and fans will be crossing their fingers that Doncic can return in the postseason just like he did in 2022 for Dallas.