The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Houston Rockets in six games during their first-round series despite not having Luka Dončić for any of the contests due to a hamstring injury. Now, as the Lakers prepare to face the defending-champion Oklahoma City Thunder, all eyes are on Dončić to see if he’ll be able to return at some point during the second-round series.
Luka Dončić Injury Update: Is the Lakers Star Playing in Game 1?
No, Dončić has been ruled out for Game 1 on Tuesday night. He continues to battle the hamstring strain that he suffered on April 2 against Oklahoma City.
Unfortunately for the Lakers, it sounds like the superstar is “not close” to returning, according to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst.
“Most likely you’re not gonna see Luka Dončić at the front end of this series, maybe at least for another week to 10 days… [at] the minimum,” Windhorst said over the weekend.
This lines up with what ClutchPoints’ Brett Siegel reported last Friday night that Dončić’s “return is still not clear nor close.”
Dončić has begun “to do light individual work” and “there is optimism he can begin ramping up his activities” this week, according to Siegel. But he isn’t currently doing any contact drills, 1-on-1, 3-on-3, or 5-on-5 — all things he must clear in order to return.
Barring a surprise, don’t expect to see Dončić back early in this series. The Lakers will try to hang around in the series so that Dončić could make his return toward the middle or end of the round. Here is the schedule for the Thunder-Lakers series:
- Game 1: Los Angeles at OKC, Tuesday, May 5
- Game 2: Los Angeles at OKC, Thursday, May 7
- Game 3: OKC at Los Angeles, Saturday, May 9
- Game 4: OKC at Los Angeles, Monday, May 11
- Game 5 (If necessary): Los Angeles at OKC, Wednesday, May 13
- Game 6 (If necessary): OKC at Los Angeles, Saturday, May 16
- Game 7 (If necessary): Los Angeles at OKC, Monday, May 18
If Dončić spends this week ramping up and checking boxes, perhaps he could target a return in Game 4 or Game 5 the following week. But again, it all depends on his body responds to the ramp-up process.
During the regular season, Dončić averaged 33.5 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 8.3 assists per game, while shooting 47.6% from the floor and 36.6% from 3.
With Austin Reaves back in action and LeBron James turning back the clock as of late, perhaps the Lakers can hang around long enough for Dončić to make a mid-series return. It helps that the Thunder are also shorthanded, as star Jalen Williams has also been ruled out for Game 1 as he battles a Grade 1 hamstring strain.
Both teams will be anxiously monitoring hamstrings and focusing on treatment in the early part of the series, so be sure to check back for updates on both stars’ availability.
