Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic disclosed Tuesday that an early-April MRI projected an eight-week recovery for the Grade 2 left hamstring strain he suffered on April 2 against the Oklahoma City Thunder, casting doubt on his availability for the remainder of the postseason.
“The day I did the MRI on the hamstring, the doctors told me eight weeks at the beginning,” Doncic told reporters in his first public comments since the injury. “So I’m doing everything I can in the process. I think we’re in a good way, but at the beginning they told me eight weeks.”
Current timetable
Game 2 of the Western Conference semifinal series against Oklahoma City, set for Thursday, falls exactly five weeks after Doncic was hurt. A potential Game 7 on May 18 would come just shy of seven weeks. According to the initial estimate, the 27-year-old would not be cleared until late May, meaning the Lakers would likely need to advance to the Western Conference Finals before he could return, and even then on a minutes restriction.
PRP treatment in Spain
Doncic said he traveled to Spain for platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy after consulting with Lakers medical staff. “Everybody agreed for me to go there,” he noted. “I needed four days in between every shot. I did it four times, so that’s why I stayed longer.”
Frustration grows
The four-time All-Star, whose playoff performances have highlighted his career, admitted the layoff has been difficult. “It’s very frustrating,” he said. “All I want to do is play basketball, especially in this time. It’s the best time to play basketball. But to see what my team is doing, I’m very proud of them.”
While Austin Reaves has already returned from a Grade 2 left oblique injury sustained the same night, the Lakers will continue to rely on LeBron James, Reaves and the current rotation as they attempt to navigate the second round without their leading scorer.
Source: Lakers Nation
