Doncic’s Potential Return Sparks Hopes for Lakers
OKLAHOMA CITY — The last time the Lakers played in Oklahoma City, Luka Doncic was sidelined with a Grade 2 hamstring injury from an April 2 game against the Thunder.
Fast forward nearly a month, and Doncic has expressed his eagerness to join his team during the playoffs.
He shared updates with the media Wednesday between the Lakers’ Game 1 loss to the Thunder and their upcoming Game 2. “This injury feels different from any I’ve had before,” Doncic remarked. “It’s the second time this season I’ve hurt my hamstring, so it’s taken a while to recover. But I’m feeling good. I’m training daily; I want to get back out there.”
Initially, recovery was projected at four to six weeks, but doctors mentioned it might extend to eight. Thursday, in fact, is five weeks post-injury.
He’s started to run again, marking progress in his return-to-play protocol.
“It’s really frustrating,” Doncic added. “I don’t think many comprehend just how frustrating it can be. Right now, I just want to play basketball. This is the time to be playing. Watching my team compete has been tough. I’m proud of them, but it’s hard to just sit back.”
After the injury, Doncic went to Spain for advanced treatments, including four PRP (platelet-rich plasma) injections. “Spain is known for its excellent care,” he said. “I discussed it with the Lakers’ medical team, and they supported my choice to go. I have a lot of faith in the doctors there. I needed to space out the shots over several days, which is why my trip was longer.”
He had a remarkable season until that injury, managing to score over 600 points in March alone, joining Michael Jordan as the only other player to achieve that. Throughout, he led the Lakers to an impressive record of 16-2.
Yet, despite these achievements—leading the league in scoring at 33.5 points, ranking third in assists (8.3), and being sixth in steals (1.6)—Doncic wasn’t selected as an MVP finalist.
His absence has clearly impacted the Lakers. They surprisingly overcame the Rockets in six games to reach the Western Conference semifinals, but fell 108-90 to the Thunder in Game 1, even with LeBron James putting in a stellar performance and limiting reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to just 18 points.
“Facing a reigning champion is tough. They average a lot of points and contributions,” James commented on the challenges the team faced without Doncic.
If Doncic can return, it could significantly bolster the Lakers’ chances alongside players like James and Austin Reeves, creating an opportunity for a remarkable playoff comeback.
