Los Angeles Lakers They advanced to the next phase of the playoffs after eliminating Houston Rocketsbut the outlook is not completely favorable for the semifinal of the Western Conference. The physical situation of Luka Doncic It keeps the team on alert, since his return to the court does not seem imminent.
The Slovenian junior continues to recover from a grade 2 strain in his hamstring, an injury suffered on April 2 during a match against Oklahoma Metropolis Recount. Exactly one month after that episode, his evolution continues to be slow and without significant progress in his workload.
According to journalist Brian Windhorst of ESPNthe player is still not close to returning. “I have no idea how Luka will be in 14 days, but The most likely thing is that we won’t see it at the beginning of this series, maybe at least for another week or ten days at least”he explained.
This diagnosis coincides with your current status, since Doncic hasn’t even started three-on-three traininga key stage before receiving medical clearance to compete. The estimated recovery time for this type of injury varies between three and eight weeks, depending on the severity.
Windy on Luka per chance returning:
“He’s no longer shut. Presumably you may maybe per chance also very effectively be no longer gonna inquire of Luka Doncic on the entrance stop of this assortment per chance no longer lower than for but every other week to 10 days on the minimum. So the Lakers are gonna possess a truth they’re gonna must always full it with out (him)” pic.twitter.com/bACw4czZvI
— Oh No He Did no longer (@ohnohedidnt24) Could well 2, 2026
Lakers adjust their strategy without their necessary figure
The calendar offers some leeway. The series against Oklahoma Metropolis Recount will begin with a few days of rest beforehand, which could play into the rehabilitation process. If it extends to a seventh game, scheduled for May 18, the entire period since the injury would exceed six weeks.
During the regular season, Doncic was the offensive reference for the Los Angeles team. He averaged 33.5 points and 8.3 assists in 64 games as a starter.figures that reflect their weight within the system. His absence forces the team’s approach to be modified in a decisive instance.
In this context, figures such as LeBron James and Austin Reaves take on greater prominence. The latter already returned to activity in the previous series, after missing four weeks due to an oblique injury, which represented an important reinforcement for the team in the closing stretch against Houston.
It is not the first time that Doncic faces a similar scenario in the postseason. In the 2021-22 campaign, he missed the first three games of the Dallas Mavericks’ first-round series against the Utah Jazz due to a calf injury.
Meanwhile, the immediate challenge is no less. Oklahoma Metropolis dominated head-to-head matches during the regular season, winning all four games, three of them by margins greater than 29 points.
The Lakers will have to compete without their necessary game generator, at least at the start of the series, while the medical team evaluates the Slovenian’s evolution.
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