Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Dončić affirmed on Wednesday his absolute commitment to rejoining the team on the court, specifically for the series against the Oklahoma City Thunder, the very opponent where he sustained his left hamstring injury on April 2. Dončić further disclosed that an eight-week healing period was initially projected when his Grade 2 strain was identified.
The second game of the Lakers’ Western Conference semifinals series versus the Thunder is scheduled for Thursday evening, signifying five weeks since Dončić’s injury occurred.
Dončić informed members of the press that while he has resumed running, he has not yet received clearance for unrestricted physical engagement.
The Lakers currently trail the reigning NBA champion Thunder 1-0 in the series, having lost the first game in Oklahoma City by a score of 108-90 on Tuesday.
“This injury is unlike any I’ve experienced before,” Dončić commented on Wednesday, as reported by Khobi Price of California Post.
“It’s the second time I’ve injured a hamstring, with the previous one, much less severe, occurring in late January. Consequently, the recuperation process has been somewhat extended, but I’m feeling well. I’m putting in work daily, aiming for my return.”
Before his regular-season setback facing the Thunder, Dončić was strongly contending for the NBA MVP award. As he mentioned, his initial hamstring injury happened in early February during a game against the Philadelphia 76ers. On that occasion, the six-time All-Star sidestepped a significant problem, sitting out just four games before rejoining the team post-All-Star Weekend.
The Grade 2 strain he sustained against the Thunder two months later has presented a considerably more prolonged path to recovery and a return to playing. Following that injury, it was reported that the Slovenian star traveled to Europe for expert medical care.
“I traveled to Spain for PRP,” Dončić stated, as conveyed by Price, referencing platelet-rich plasma therapy, an injection method that utilizes a patient’s own blood components to expedite recovery.
“It’s widely recognized as one of the premier nations for such procedures. And naturally, after discussions with the Lakers’ medical staff, there was unanimous consent for me to go. … My extended stay in Spain was due to requiring a four-day interval between each injection. Therefore, I underwent the treatment four times, necessitating a longer duration.”
On Wednesday, Dončić was questioned about his readiness to participate when the semifinal series returns to Los Angeles on Saturday, according to Dave McMenamin of ESPN.
“I am simply dedicating myself to every possible effort,” Dončić communicated, as reported by McMenamin. “Each day, I’m performing my prescribed tasks – clearly recuperating, and currently training. The physician initially indicated an eight-week timeframe following the first MRI, so I’m progressing one day at a time, and my condition improves daily.”
The Lakers have encountered significant difficulty when playing against the Thunder throughout this season. Los Angeles has been defeated in all five of its matchups with Oklahoma City in the 2025-26 campaign, encompassing Tuesday’s playoff contest. Merely one of these five games concluded with a margin under 10 points, specifically a nine-point difference on February 9, which notably occurred without the Thunder’s star player, current league MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, participating.
The Lakers confront a formidable challenge in the Western Conference. They previously overcame an obstacle, prevailing over the Houston Rockets in the first round despite being understaffed.
Nevertheless, the Thunder present the most rigorous challenge for the Lakers, irrespective of Dončić’s presence on the playing surface.
