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. He also missed Game 1 in the second round against the defending-champion Oklahoma City Thunder.
Now, 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 2?
No, Dončić has been ruled out for Game 2 on Thursday 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 Dončić said during Wednesday’s media availability, when he explained that he was initially given an eight-week recovery timeline.
“I’m just doing everything I can, like I said. Every day I’m doing stuff I was supposed to do. Obviously, I’m recovering now, I’m working, but as a doctor said, eight weeks at the beginning of the first MRI,” he said. “So, you know, I’m just going day by day, and I feel better every day.”
“I don’t think people understand how frustrating it is. All I wanna do is play basketball, especially this time (of the year)… Seeing what my team is doing, I’m very proud of them. It’s been very tough just to sit and watch them play,” he added.
Based on that timeline, it sounds like Dončić is still potentially one-to-three weeks away from returning. The Lakers will try to hang around in the series so that Dončić could make his return toward the end of the round, but the timing may not work out. Here is the schedule for the rest of the Thunder-Lakers series:
- 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
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.
The Thunder are also shorthanded, as Jalen Williams missed Game 1.
OKC won Game 1, 108-90, thanks to a 24-point performance from Chet Holmgren. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander contributed 18 points. Unsurprisingly, LeBron James was the standout player for Los Angeles, putting up an impressive 27-point performance in Game 1. With Dončić out and Austin Reaves not looking like himself, James has had to put the team on his back.
It remains to be seen if Dončić will play in this series, but it’s not looking good based on the timetable he provided.
