Key Points
Bullet point summary by AI
- The Lakers face a critical injury question ahead of Game 2 in the Western Conference Semifinals.
- Luka Dončić will miss at least this game, leaving his teammates to carry the load against a top-ranked defense.
- The timeline for his return remains uncertain, but his absence already shapes the series' early momentum.
Game 1 of the Western Conference Semifinals was not particularly kind to the Los Angeles Lakers. Despite a strong defensive effort that included holding Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to only 18 points with seven turnovers, the Lakers fell by an 18-point margin and struggled mightily on the offensive end of the floor against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
In general, that is not a shocking outcome given that the Thunder were double-digit betting favorites in Game 1, especially when noting that Oklahoma City is the NBA's best defensive team. Los Angeles was also playing without superstar creator Luka Dončić, leaving a massive burden to LeBron James and Austin Reaves. Ahead of Game 2, all eyes are on Doncic's injury status as he recovers from a Grade 2 hamstring strain.
Will Luka Dončić be available against the Thunder?
As of Thursday morning, Dončić is officially listed as "out" for Game 2 in Oklahoma City. As such, Lakers fans should not expect a miracle recovery in advance of tip-off, and that shifts the focus on Dončić to whether he can return later in the series.
On Wednesday, Dončić spoke to the media for the first time since suffering the injury in early April, and he shared that the initial recovery timeline he was given from doctors was eight weeks following the initial MRI on the injury. Game 2 arrives at the five-week mark of the process, though Dončić was not ceding ground to the initial timeline, rather focusing on getting back as quickly as possible and noting that he has begun running.
"It's very frustrating," Doncic said on Wednesday, via ESPN. "I don't think people understand how frustrating it is. All I want to do is play basketball, especially this time. It's the best time to play basketball.
"It's very frustrating seeing what my team is doing. I'm very proud of them. It's been very tough to just to sit and watch them play."
The quick nature of the series is not doing Dončić any favors. Though the lengthy first round certainly gave the Lakers a bit of extra time for his healing, this series is happening on an accelerated timeline with a game every other day. To that end, Game 3 arrives on Saturday night in Los Angeles and, based on what Dončić had to say this week, it seems lofty that he would be able to return for that outing.
Still, everyone is saying the right things with Dončić, including Lakers head coach JJ Redick, who noted that Doncic should only return when he is "ready to play." At the same time, the Lakers badly miss Dončić, and that is not a secret to anyone watching the team closely.
Los Angeles Lakers projected starting lineup and depth chart without Luka Dončić
STARTER | POSITION | BENCH |
|---|---|---|
Marcus Smart | PG | Luke Kennard |
Austin Reaves | SG | Luke Kennard |
Rui Hachimura | SF | Jake LaRavia |
LeBron James | PF | Jarred Vanderbilt |
Deandre Ayton | C | Jaxson Hayes |
Los Angeles managed to pull a first round upset over the Houston Rockets without the team's best player, but Dončić finished the regular season averaging 33.5 points, 8.3 assists, and 7.7 rebounds per game. Those per-game averages place him in rarified air, both in the current league and in its history, and Doncic is one of the more undeniable offensive engines in the league.
It remains to be seen as to when Dončićcan return and, when he does come back, what the status of the series against the Thunder will be. What is clear is that he will not play in Game 2, leaving the Lakers in an uphill battle on the road against the reigning NBA champions on Thursday.
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