Luka Dončić has been ruled out for Monday’s game against the Oklahoma City Thunder, a day before Game 1 of their second-round playoff series.
Dončić remains sidelined with a Grade 2 hamstring strain.
He missed the final six games of the regular season with the injury and the entirety of the Lakers’ first-round playoff win over Houston Rockets.
Dončić’s Uncertain Return
Dončić’s availability against the Thunder remains unclear beyond Game 1. Being ruled out a day ahead of time is generally not a good sign of a quick return.
ESPN’s Shams Charania reported Sunday that Dončić remains on “a slow path” to recovery and hasn’t returned to full-contact workouts. He’s still considered week-to-week, per the report.
When asked Sunday about Dončić’s availability for Game 1, Lakers head coach JJ Redick said this: “I don’t have any updates on Luka.”
Lakers Without Their Star
For Game 1 and perhaps beyond, the Lakers will play without their All-NBA guard, who led the league in scoring with 33.5 points per game alongside averages of 8.3 assists, 7.7 rebounds and 1.6 steals.
The Lakers won in Round 1 despite Dončić’s absence and Austin Reaves missing the first three games of the series. The Rockets were also playing shorthanded with Kevin Durant sidelined for five of the series’ six games.
Challenging Match Ahead
With Dončić sidelined, Rui Hachimura and Marcus Smart started all six games of the series. LeBron James carried the offensive load and continued to lead the Lakers in scoring even upon Reaves’ return.
Against a reigning champion Thunder team that led the league in defensive rating for a second straight season and swept the Lakers in the regular season, playing without Dončić will put them at a heightened disadvantage.