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Luka Doncic's hamstring injury kept him out of the playoffs, impacting the Lakers' chances against the Thunder. The Lakers lost their season-ending game, allowing the Thunder to advance to the Western Conference finals.

Luka Doncic injury news has to be depressing for Lakers after season-ending loss to Thunder originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Los Angeles Lakers certainly could have used Luka Doncic during their second-round playoff series vs the defending-champion Oklahoma City Thunder.
While the Thunder likely would have advanced regardless, Doncicās game-changing shotmaking in isolation situations, pick-and-roll brilliance, and late-game magic would have kept things interesting at the very least. Unfortunately for Doncic, a hamstring injury forced him to miss the entire series, allowing the Thunder to cruise to the Western Conference finals.
After the Lakersā Monday night loss to the Thunder (their last of the season), Doncic spoke to reporters about his injury, and his comments will likely depress Los Angeles and its fan base.
āI know some people wanted me (to come) back, but obviously I wasnāt close to clearing,ā Doncic said. āIf I could be out there, I would be, 100%. Everybody in that room knows this is really tough. This is the best time to play basketball.ā
āObviously this season didnāt end how we wanted, but I feel like the last push we made in the end of the regular season, we thought we could compete for a championship,ā Doncic said. āI think we had a great team. We had great chemistry. Playing with AR () and (James), itās an incredible experience. Two great players, and it was really fun to share a court with them.ā
Luka Doncic suffered a hamstring injury that forced him to miss the entire playoff series against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The Lakers lost to the Thunder in their second-round playoff series, which ended their season.
Doncic expressed disappointment about his injury and its impact on the Lakers' playoff chances during a post-game interview.
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After the Lakers secured a 4-2 first-round series win over the Houston Rockets, there was legitimate optimism that Doncic would return to the franchiseās lineup in round No. 2. The consensus was the former Dallas Mavericks star would miss the first game or two, but would eventually be cleared for action.
Now we know that Doncic returning to the hardwood was never in the cards for the six-time All-Star, which essentially means the Lakersā season was finished when Doncic suffered his lower-body injury on Apr. 2, and they didnāt even know it.
That undoubtedly adds insult to injury for a Lakers squad that isn't in the best shape heading into an important offseason.
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