Luka Doncic was in attendance at Crypto.com Arena on Saturday for the Los Angeles Lakers‘ 107-98 win over the Houston Rockets in Game 1 of their first-round series. Doncic had only returned to the United States on Friday after spending nearly two weeks in Europe as he looked to expedite his recovery from a Grade 2 left hamstring strain.
Following the return, Doncic was spotted on an e-bike in Los Angeles along with his father, Sasa Doncic.
Luka has been spotted back in LA after being in Europe for two weeks 👀
(via @michaeljduarte) pic.twitter.com/KmA1CtPUY8
— Lakers All Day Everyday (@LADEig) April 18, 2026
Doncic being able to ride a bike is a good sign. We’re approaching three weeks now since the Slovenian suffered this hamstring injury during the Lakers’ 139-96 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on April 2.
Now, the average recovery time from a Grade 2 strain is four to six weeks. Will that Europe trip lead to the six-time All-Star returning earlier? Well, the Lakers haven’t said much about this just yet.
On Tuesday, Lakers head coach JJ Redick said Doncic and Austin Reaves are both out indefinitely. Reaves had suffered a Grade 2 left oblique strain in that same game against the Thunder.
Redick made it clear he wasn’t going to be able to provide an update on either of them last week. The 41-year-old was then asked about Doncic returning to the U.S. in his press conference before Game 1 against the Rockets, and he didn’t have a lot to say.
“I talked to him yesterday when he landed,” Redick said, via Infanity TV. “He’s in good spirits, and we’re excited to see him today.”
Doncic would have been excited by what he saw on the court in Game 1. The Lakers had been completely written off in his and Reaves’ absence, but came away with an impressive win to take a 1-0 lead.
Rockets superstar Kevin Durant being ruled out with a right knee contusion certainly helped, but the Lakers still weren’t seen as favorites after that news broke. They ended up leading for almost the entire game, and that was an impressive display.
A goal for the Lakers entering this series would have been to extend it to six or seven games, to increase their backcourt duo’s chances of taking part in it. Team insider Jovan Buha has said Doncic could be back in the middle of the series, which made winning Game 1, especially once Durant was ruled out, ever so important. They did just that, and if they win Game 2 as well, then you’d give them a real chance of advancing.
While Doncic was all smiles on Saturday, you’d imagine he was frowning on Sunday. The NBA has revealed the three finalists for the MVP award, and he isn’t one of them. The award will be taken home by either Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Victor Wembanyama, or Nikola Jokic.
It initially looked like Doncic was going to be ineligible for end-of-season awards, as that injury against the Thunder meant he only played 64 games in the regular season. You need 65 to qualify.
Doncic then applied for an “Extraordinary Circumstances Challenge,” as he had missed two games in December due to the birth of his second daughter, Olivia, in Slovenia. The challenge was approved, only for him to not even be in the top three for MVP. That has to be disappointing, considering the kind of season he had.
Doncic averaged 33.5 points, 7.7 rebounds, 8.3 assists, 1.6 steals, and 0.5 blocks per game for the Lakers in 2025-26. The 27-year-old won the scoring title and led the Lakers to a respectable 53-29 record, but it wasn’t enough.
