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Kendrick Perkins demands investigation into Lakers medical staff after Luka Doncic injury
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- Kendrick Perkins demands investigation into Lakers medical staff after Luka Doncic injury
More than the 43-point blowout loss to the defending champions, the Oklahoma City Thunder , what truly worried LA Lakers fans was Luka Doncic aggravating his hamstring injury. The situation has escalated quickly, with it being classified as a Grade 2 strain - an update that has ruled him out of the regular season.
Moreover, with the playoffs just two weeks away, concern is rapidly growing. Typically, a Grade 2 hamstring injury takes anywhere between three to six weeks to heal, which puts Luka's availability for the postseason in serious doubt.
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Ultimately, this led Kendrick Perkins to call out the Lakers' medical staff for giving him the green light to play in the first place.
Luka Doncic was already injured
Since the tip-off, Luka's performance against OKC indicated something wasn't right. In 26 minutes, he managed just 12 points on 3-of-10 shooting, including a rough 1-of-7 from beyond the arc, while also committing a shocking six turnovers. Clearly, that was far from his usual standard.
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Then, in the third quarter, he went down without any contact, immediately lying down on the floor and grabbing his hamstring. That moment already raised alarms, but in his post-game interview, head coach JJ Redick revealed that Luka had already been dealing with hamstring discomfort before stepping onto the floor.
That revelation added fuel to Big Perk's criticism. He questioned how team doctors, who are expected to have full knowledge of a player's condition, could allow someone as valuable as Luka to play under such circumstances, especially when the playoffs are so close. Not only was Perkins shocked to see a franchise cornerstone treated so casually, but speculated how this lapse in judgment could even be intentional.
"I got to put some blame on the doctors. The medical staff said he's clear to play," Perkins said on the last episode of his podcast. "That was the dumbest s–t ever. They need to be under investigation… I'm not in the medical field, but I have common sense."
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Doncic needs to find a way to return ASAP
The situation worsens when you consider Austin Reaves has also picked up a Grade 2 oblique injury, which is expected to sideline him for the first round of the playoffs. With both their starting backcourt stars out, the Lakers are definitely in a vulnerable situation. This is why, as the leader of the pack, Doncic needs to find a way to return at the earliest, especially when he has worked so hard to guide the Lakers team to a top-four seed in the West so far.
Without Doncic in the mix, the Lakers can't beat their potential opponents, the Nuggets, Timberwolves , or Rockets, in the playoffs. While LeBron James , at 41 years old, can still make an impact on both ends of the floor, the Lakers need a player who can consistently drop 30 points a night to put them in the front seat.
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Thus, at this point, the Lakers' 2025-26 campaign depends entirely on Luka's recovery. And given how Doncic has dealt with hamstring injuries in the past, he surely has the blueprint of how to make the speediest comeback.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Apr 6, 2026, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
