Will Luka Doncic Play in Lakers-Thunder Series?
There is some hope that Luka Doncic will make his comeback for the Los Angeles Lakers in their second-round NBA playoffs matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Doncic sat out the entire first-round series against the Houston Rockets due to a Grade 2 hamstring strain. This includes Friday's series-clinching win in Game 6.
LeBron James paced the Lakers on Friday with 28 points on 10-of-25 shooting, to go along with seven rebounds, eight assists and two triples in 37 minutes of action. The Lakers blew out the Rockets, 98-78.
L.A. has just one full day to prepare for the Thunder series. Game 1 at OKC is on Sunday.
According to the latest report on Doncic's injury status, the six-time All-Star will not be available to start the series against the Thunder.
Doncic went down on April 2 in a regular-season matchup against the Thunder. He missed the final five games of the regular season and all six matchups against the Rockets in the opening round of the playoffs.
Doncic flew to Europe in April to get specialized treatment for his hamstring injury. The 27-year-old received multiple injection treatments with the objective of speeding up his recovery.
ESPN's Shams Charania provided an update on Doncic's status on Thursday. According to the renowned reporter, the Lakers do not expect Doncic to be ready for the start of the Thunder series.
"I'm told that it's a slow path on his recovery," Charania said. "If the Lakers do advance in the series and play the Oklahoma City Thunder in the next round, the expectation is that Luka Doncic will be out to start that series.
"There's still no clarity on a timeline. He's starting ramp-up a little bit more and more on the court, still isn't progressing to full scrimmages and workouts yet."
The silver lining for the Lakers is that Austin Reaves is back in the mix. The 6-foot-5 shooting guard suffered a Grade 2 oblique strain at the tail end of the regular season. However, Reaves returned in Game 5 against the Rockets.
Reaves also played in Game 6 on Friday, helping lead L.A. to victory. He finished with 15 points on 7-of-14 from the field, with three rebounds, two assists and three blocks in 21 minutes.
As for Doncic, the Lakers will continue to work around the clock to expedite his rehab. He will not play in Game 1 on Sunday, but based on Charania's report, there is some optimism that Doncic will be able to come back at some point in the series.
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This story was originally published May 1, 2026 at 9:23 PM.