The Los Angeles Lakers are heading into the playoffs with uncertainty surrounding their biggest star, but Luka Doncic is at least on his way back.
After spending the past week in Spain receiving treatment on his injured hamstring, Doncic is expected to return to Los Angeles on Friday, though his status for the start of the postseason remains unclear.
“Over the last week in Spain, the majority of that time, he’s been getting treatment on that hamstring. He has had multiple injections to see if he can promote healing, and whether he can quicken the timeline of his return,” ESPN’s Shams Charania explained.
The star guard has been sidelined since April 2 after suffering a Grade 2 left hamstring strain against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
“The expectation is that Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves will both be out to start the first round,” Charania reported on the Pat McAfee Show.
The timing is tight. Los Angeles, the No. four seed in the Western Conference, is set to host the No. five-seeded Houston Rockets in Game 1 on Saturday night.
A Grade 2 hamstring strain typically requires around a month of recovery, putting his availability in serious doubt for the opening games of the series.
LeBron James helped steady the group, earning Western Conference Player of the Week honors after averaging 24.0 points, 9.7 assists, and 6.0 rebounds to close out the regular season.
Before the injury, Doncic was putting together one of the most dominant campaigns in the league, averaging a league-leading 33.5 points along with 8.3 assists and 7.7 rebounds per game. He appeared in 64 games, just shy of the 65-game threshold required for award eligibility.
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