Luka Doncic has been ruled out for Game 3 against the Oklahoma City Thunder with a Grade 2 hamstring strain, while Jarred Vanderbilt is questionable with a finger injury. The Lakers will try to avoid a 3-0 series deficit against OKC on Saturday night.
The Los Angeles Lakers superstar Luka Doncic has been officially ruled out for Game 3 of the second-round playoff series against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Saturday night.
The Lakers trail 2-0 in the series as it shifts to Los Angeles for the first home game at Crypto.com Arena.
It will mark Doncic's ninth missed playoff game this season after he suffered a Grade 2 hamstring strain on April 2.
"I'm just doing everything I can," Luka said on Wednesday. "Every day I'm doing stuff I'm supposed to do. You know, obviously recovering now, working. Like I said, doctors said eight weeks at the beginning of the first time around. So, I'm just going day by day, and I feel better every day."
Doncic has started running again, although he still has not been cleared for full-contact basketball activities.
According to sports doctor Jesse Morse, Doncic likely suffered a significant Grade 2 hamstring strain or partial tear and could still be one to two weeks away from returning. If that timeline holds, he would likely miss the remainder of the second-round series.
"It's getting really hard to imagine Luka Doncic will be available for this OKC series," Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints reported.
Credit AP - Scanpix
Dr. Morse also questioned the platelet-rich plasma (PRP) treatment used for the injury, suggesting it may not have been strong enough for the severity of the strain.
He described PRP as "a baby dose" and "about a three out of 10 in potency," arguing that the injury required a more aggressive regenerative treatment approach.
Doncic has now missed 13 games since suffering the hamstring injury, with the Lakers posting a 7-6 record during that stretch.
Los Angeles lost Game 1 to the top-seeded Thunder 108-90 on Tuesday before falling 125-107 in Game 2 on Thursday.
Game 3 is scheduled for Saturday at 8:30 p.m. ET at Crypto.com Arena.
In addition to Luka, forward Jarred Vanderbilt (finger) is listed as questionable.
Thunder vs. Lakers schedule:
Game 1: Lakers vs. Thunder on Tuesday, May 5 (OKC won 108-90)
Game 2: Lakers vs. Thunder on Thursday, May 7 (OKC won 125-107)
Game 3: Thunder vs. Lakers on Saturday, May 9
Game 4: Thunder vs. Lakers on Monday, May 11
Game 5: Lakers vs. Thunder on Wednesday, May 13*
Game 6: Thunder vs. Lakers on Saturday, May 16*
Game 7: Lakers vs. Thunder on Monday, May 18*
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