Luka Doncic has been out since April 2 after suffering a strained left hamstring in a game between the LA Lakers and OKC Thunder. Doncic was diagnosed with a Grade 2 strain, which has a recovery timeline of four to six weeks. But what’s the latest update on his return ahead of the NBA playoffs?
It was reported last week that Doncic received permission for the Lakers’ medical team to seek treatment in Europe. Slovenian media outlet Ekipa revealed that the Lakers superstar went to Spain and underwent stem cell therapy under Javier Barrio, a doctor for his former team, Real Madrid.
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Doncic will reportedly have another therapy session in Madrid before heading back to Los Angeles next week, possibly on April 15 or 16. It’s unclear if the procedure has escalated his return timeline ahead of the postseason. The Lakers have a week off once the regular season ends on Sunday.
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In addition to Spain, Ekipa also reported that Luka Doncic went to his hometown of Ljubljana, Slovenia. She visited her two daughters, Olivia and Gabriela, whom he hasn’t seen since December.
The LA Lakers reportedly don’t have a problem with Doncic taking a detour since it was for his overall well-being. He has had issues with his family this season, with his breakup with Anamaria Goltes. She has been living in Slovenia with their two daughters since the summer.
Doncic fell short of becoming eligible for awards this season, but his camp is expected to file an exception because he wasn’t injured in a couple of games he missed in December. He took paternity leave to fly to Slovenia for the birth of his daughter.
Can the Lakers survive the first round of the playoffs without Luka Doncic?
The LA Lakers are yet to lock in a position for the playoffs. They are currently sitting fourth with just one game remaining. They will face the Utah Jazz in the regular season finale on Sunday.
If the Lakers win that game, and the Denver Nuggets lose against the San Antonio Spurs, they are set to be the No. 3 seed. If the Nuggets win, the Lakers are going to be at No. 4.
The Lakers could face either the Minnesota Timberwolves or Houston Rockets in the first round of the playoffs. It would be hard for the Lakers to survive the first round if Luka Doncic can’t suit up for the series. They only have LeBron James as the first option since Austin Reaves is also injured with a strained left oblique.
Edited by Juan Paolo David