Luka Doncic has returned to the court.
The guard missed the last four games for the Lakers due to a hamstring issue but appeared for Team World in the NBA All-Star Game at Intuit Dome in Inglewood on Sunday.
In fact, he played in only one of the two games, managing just two points and two assists during a little over five minutes of action.
Despite his team’s elimination from the tournament, he told reporters that his leg felt surprisingly fine.
“It was good,” he commented about his hamstring. “Of course I wanted to be in the game. The fans voted me in, so I wanted to participate, even if just a little. But it felt good.”
Doncic started the opener for Team World alongside notable players like Victor Wembanyama and Nikola Jokic.
Throughout the game, he received some jeers from the Clippers fans, who even chanted “flopper” at him.
Yet, Doncic seemed unfazed, dribbling smoothly and navigating through the defense with his characteristic ease.
Even though he didn’t appear to be fully back to his peak speed, there weren’t clear signs of lingering injury.
After sitting out the first game, he donned a sweatsuit and didn’t make it back for the second. He was seen warming up and even tried a half-court shot before that game against the USA Stripes.
His stats from Sunday showed two points and two assists in his single game appearance.
When asked if this meant he’d return to Los Angeles for the game against the Clippers on Friday, he was noncommittal.
“Let’s see,” he responded.
Doncic sustained his hamstring injury on February 5 during a match against the 76ers at Crypto.com Arena, causing him to leave in the first half and miss the following games against the Warriors, Thunder, Spurs, and Mavericks.
While he was absent, the Lakers’ record slipped to 2-2.
The 26-year-old, who was acquired by Los Angeles in a major trade last season, mentioned earlier that he was “almost” ready for the game against his former Dallas team last Thursday, but it just “wasn’t possible.”
This season, Doncic has played 42 games with the Lakers, averaging 32.8 points, 8.6 assists, and 7.8 rebounds per game.
Experiencing his first game with the Lakers during Sunday’s All-Star event, he described it as “amazing.”
“Obviously, it’s been very busy,” he noted. “But I’m glad I did all this.”
