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Latest Lakers’ Luka Doncic injury update hints at possible first-round playoff return
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- Latest Lakers’ Luka Doncic injury update hints at possible first-round playoff return
Latest Lakers' Luka Doncic injury update hints at possible first-round playoff return appeared first on ClutchPoints . Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here .
Los Angeles Lakers superstar guard Luka Doncic is expected to return from Spain and rejoin the team on Friday, at which point he will be further evaluated by the team's medical staff, according to Shams Charania of ESPN.
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Doncic has spent the last week in Spain receiving an injection that could help in the recovery process from his Grade 2 left hamstring strain he suffered on April 2 in the Lakers' 139-96 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder .
Although no definitive timeline for his recovery process was given by the Lakers, the expectation when the injury was first diagnosed is that Doncic would miss at least 3-4 weeks, meaning he would miss all of the team's first-round playoff series.
Now, based on where he is at upon being re-evaluated by the team and possibly progressing to some light on-court work, there is a chance Doncic could return later on in the Lakers' first-round playoff series against the Houston Rockets .
Of course, this means Los Angeles would need to extend the series longer than four or five games for Luka to have a chance at returning during the series.
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Aside from Doncic being sidelined indefinitely with his hamstring injury, the Lakers are also entering the playoffs without starting guard Austin Reaves , who suffered a Grade 2 oblique strain in this same game against Oklahoma City at the start of April.
Unlike Doncic, who has a glimmer of hope regarding his possible return, Reaves is set to miss all of the Lakers' first-round series, even if it goes to seven games. As of right now, Reaves is not expected to return until sometime after the start of May, putting his chances of returning during the playoffs in jeopardy.
In 64 games this season, Doncic averaged 32.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 6.0 assists per game while shooting 42.7 percent from the floor. Doncic led the league in scoring for the second time in his career, but as of right now, he is ineligible for awards and honors like MVP and All-NBA as a result of falling below the 65-game minimum rule.
With the regular season now over, Doncic and his representation plan to file an appeal with the "Extraordinary Circumstances Challenge," which will argue that the two games Luka missed earlier this season for the birth of his child in December should be accepted by the league as an extraordinary circumstance.
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The Lakers will provide an official update on Doncic's status once he returns to the team and is re-evaluated for his hamstring injury.
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