SportsRecap
No. 13 Minnesota Eliminates No. 4 UCLA To Join Oklahoma In Final Four
Minnesota takes down UCLA to join Oklahoma in NCAA Gymnastics Final Four!
Yahoo Sports1 min read
Sports
Luka Doncic rejoining Lakers after getting injury treatment in Europe
TL;DR
Luka Doncic is rejoining the Lakers after receiving treatment for his hamstring injury in Europe. He is expected back with the team by Friday, but there is no set date for his return to play.
Lakers guard Luka Doncic is rejoining the team after seeking treatment for his hamstring injury in Europe. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)
Luka Doncic will be back for the beginning of the Lakers' playoff run. Just not on the court.
The Lakers superstar will rejoin the team by Friday after traveling to Spain to receive specialized treatment on his Grade 2 hamstring strain, a source familiar with the situation confirmed to The Times, but there is no timetable for Doncicâs return to the lineup.
Doncic suffered the injury in a game against Oklahoma City on April 2. A Grade 2 strain typically requires four to six weeks of recovery, but Doncic traveled to Europe to receive injections on his left hamstring with the hope of speeding up the recovery process.
The Lakers (53-29) face the Houston Rockets in Game 1 of the first round on Saturday at 5:30 p.m. at Crypto.com Arena. The fourth-seeded Lakers are looking for their first playoff series win since 2023.
Read more: Inside Luka Doncic's high-stakes medical treatment and recovery plan
They are underdogs without Doncic and guard Austin Reaves, who suffered a Grade 2 left oblique strain in the same game. Doncic led the league in scoring with 33.5 points per game. Reaves, the teamâs second-leading scorer at 23.3 points per game, is expected to miss four to six weeks with his injury.
The Lakers finished the season with three consecutive wins to hold onto home-court advantage in the first round. LeBron James reasserted himself as the teamâs top player, averaging 25.5 points, 11 assists, 6.8 rebounds and 2.5 steals in the games since Doncic and Reaves were injured. He was named Western Conference player of the week Monday after leading the Lakers to a 3-1 record in the final week of the regular season.
The Lakers went 2-1 against the Rockets (52-30) during the regular season, but Doncic played a major role in the two wins. He scored 76 points in the victories, which came in a two-game series in Houston that resembled a playoff atmosphere in March.
The Rockets finished the season with nine wins in their last 10 games.
Staff writer Broderick Turner contributed to this report.
Sign up for our weekly newsletter on all things Lakers.
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Q&A
What type of injury did Luka Doncic suffer?
Luka Doncic suffered a Grade 2 hamstring strain.
How long is the typical recovery time for a Grade 2 hamstring strain?
The typical recovery time for a Grade 2 hamstring strain is four to six weeks.
When is Luka Doncic expected to rejoin the Lakers?
Luka Doncic is expected to rejoin the Lakers by Friday.