The Los Angeles Lakers stunningly eliminated the Houston Rockets in six games in the first round of the playoffs despite Luka Doncic missing the entire series with an injury. Doncic remains out after suffering a Grade 2 left hamstring strain on April 2 against the Oklahoma City Thunder, the team that the Lakers will now face in the Western Conference Semifinals.
Doncic will not be available for the start of the series, and based on all we have heard lately about the Slovenian, Jesse Morse, M.D. stated on X that the earliest he could be back is Game 4.
“Doncic has been with the team for a couple weeks now, but has yet to really advance in his running and ability to play 5 on 5,” Morse wrote. “Therefore, he’s not close to returning. Despite initially looking like a sweep, it took the Lakers 6 games to beat a Durant-less Rockets team. Yes, that bought Doncic a little bit more time, but not enough. I think realistically the fastest Doncic could return is Monday, May 11, for Game 4.”
It might be too late by then. There was talk in the lead-up to the Rockets series that Doncic could return if the Lakers managed to extend it to six or seven games. It soon became clear that the Slovenian would be able to play no part in it.
Prior to the closeout Game 6 on Friday, Lakers’ radio play-by-play announcer John Ireland shared a depressing update regarding Doncic.
“He’s not close,” Ireland said, via Lakers Daily. “He’s not running yet.”
Then, after Game 6, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst was asked during an appearance on SportsCenter with Scott Van Pelt when Doncic might return.
“He’s not close,” Windhorst said. “When you come back from a hamstring injury like this, you have to ramp up, you have to play contact basketball, you have to play three-on-three and five-on-five. He hasn’t played for a month. He’s not doing any of that right now.”
Unfortunately for Doncic and the Lakers, the schedule for this Thunder series isn’t spread out either. The teams only get one day off before Games 2, 3, 4, and 5.
Now, at first, the hope had been that Doncic would be back sooner than your average player from a Grade 2 hamstring strain. It usually keeps players out for four to six weeks, but the 27-year-old decided to try to speed up his return.
Doncic headed to Europe for specialized medical treatment, and Morse had reacted to that news by claiming there was a very good chance that the six-time All-Star would be ready to play in three to four weeks.
Well, we’re approaching five weeks now. Morse believes Doncic should have been back by this point with proper treatment in Spain.
“Whatever treatments they did in Spain, in my opinion, weren’t strong enough because he should be farther along than he is if they use the right product, volume, and technique,” Morse added.
That is quite interesting. We won’t know for sure until Doncic or the Lakers speak about this. It’s a real shame how this situation has panned out.
Doncic was outstanding in the regular season, averaging 33.5 points, 7.7 rebounds, 8.3 assists, 1.6 steals, and 0.5 blocks per game. He won the scoring title, and the Lakers seemed doomed once he and Austin Reaves went down with injuries in that game against the Thunder.
Their injuries made the Rockets big favorites, but the Lakers managed to defy the odds thanks, in large part, to one LeBon James. It will be a lot harder to do that in this next round against the Thunder, though. Reaves is at least back, and while that is a big positive, you still won’t fancy the Lakers’ chances.
The Thunder swept the season series 4-0, and it would surprise no one if they dominated in this playoff matchup as well. Game 1 tips off at Paycom Center on Tuesday at 8:30 p.m. ET.
