Headlines continue to be dominated by Los Angeles Lakers superstar Luka Doncic and his untimely hamstring injury.
During Thursday night’s blowout loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder, one of the heaviest defeats in franchise history, Doncic was forced to exit the game due to injury.
The Slovenian guard was seen grabbing his hamstring throughout the contest before leaving in the third quarter with a left hamstring issue.
ESPN’s Shams Charania has since reported that Doncic has been ruled out “indefinitely” and is expected to miss the remainder of the Lakers’ regular season.
Lakers Face Growing Concern Over Luka Doncic’s Playoff Availability
While the news of Doncic missing the rest of the regular season is significant, it is not entirely unexpected.
The focus now shifts to whether the 27-year-old will be available for the postseason.
With just five games remaining, concluding April 12 against the Utah Jazz, time is limited for any potential recovery before the Lakers’ playoff campaign begins.
Sports injury expert Dr. Jesse Morse has offered further insight into the situation.
“Luka Doncic confirmed hamstring strain, OUT INDEFINITELY with a grade 2 hamstring strain,” Morse wrote on X. “Best case scenario he returns in 3 weeks. More realistic is 4-6 weeks. Playoffs start in 2 weeks.”
Morse added that Doncic is likely to miss at least the first-round of the playoffs, though a late return in the series with limited minutes remains a possibility.
Much will depend on how the Lakers perform in his absence. A comfortable series could allow for a cautious approach, but a tightly contested matchup may force a difficult decision regarding his return.
Currently, Los Angeles sits third in the Western Conference and would face the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first-round if the standings hold.
Injury Timeline Suggests Potential Second-Round Return
Morse also shared a visual breakdown of hamstring injury grades, confirming that Doncic is dealing with a grade two strain, described as a “more severe partial muscle tear.”
While serious, it remains below a grade three strain, which is classified as a “complete rupture of the muscle” and would almost certainly end a season.
RotoWire’s Jeff Stotts reported that the average recovery time for a grade two hamstring strain is approximately 35 days.
He noted that this typically equates to around 14.7 games. With five regular season games remaining and a potential seven-game first-round series, the timeline suggests Doncic may not return until well into the second-round, based on Stotts’ analysis.
Stotts also highlighted that Doncic missed four games for the Lakers earlier this season due to the same left hamstring injury.
He previously sat out a game during the 2023-24 campaign with soreness in that area, raising further concerns about a recurring issue.
With Doncic sidelined, the responsibility now shifts to LeBron James and Austin Reaves to guide the Lakers through the remainder of the regular season and into the playoffs, as the team looks to maintain its position in the standings and stay competitive.
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