Lakers say Doncic on ‘slow path’ back, will miss start of Thunder series
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The Los Angeles Lakers will open their Western Conference semifinal matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder without Luka Doncic, who remains sidelined by a Grade 2 strain in his left hamstring.
NBA insider Shams Charania reported on ESPN’s pre-game show that the 27-year-old guard is being evaluated on a week-to-week basis and is “still on a slow path” toward full clearance. According to Charania, Doncic has increased his on-court activity but has not yet progressed to full-speed running or contact drills. He has missed roughly one month of action.
Doncic dealt with hamstring issues throughout the 2025-26 season, prompting the organization to adopt a cautious approach despite his strong late-season form. Los Angeles finished the regular season 53-29 and advanced past the Houston Rockets in six games without its leading scorer.
Head coach JJ Redick recently expressed disappointment that Doncic was not named an NBA MVP finalist. The three finalists are Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Nikola Jokic and Victor Wembanyama. Doncic captured the league scoring title while guiding the Lakers to the West’s No. 3 seed.
Source: LakersNation.com
