It’s official.
The NBA’s leading scorer will he relegated to the bench to start the next round of the playoffs.
In a decision that shocked nobody, Lakers star Luka Doncic will miss at least Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals against the Thunder. He has been ruled out by Los Angeles.
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When asked about the status of his star guard, who’s dealing with a hamstring injury, Lakers coach JJ Redick kept it blunt, “I don’t have any updates on Luka.”
Doncic has already passed the one-month mark since suffering a Grade 2 hamstring strain on April 2 against the Thunder.
After traveling to Spain for advanced treatment aimed at accelerating recovery, Doncic’s progression has been less than ideal. He’s done controlled on-court work with shooting and light movement, but has yet to progress to running or physical on-court work.
“Obviously, we always want to have Luka out there,” said teammate Austin Reaves on Sunday. “He’s one of the best players in the league, if not the best player. It’s definitely a different task. Everyone has to play differently to create and fill the void of the things he does for us.”
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Sources told The California Post that Doncic is expected to miss at least the first two games of the Western Conference semifinal series, clearing a return for a possible Game 3.
However, at this point in his recovery, returning to the series at any point — especially given Oklahoma City’s propensity for physical play — seems highly unlikely.
