The NBA scoring champion, out with a Grade 2 strain since April 2, is five weeks into the doctors’ expected recovery timeline of eight weeks.

Los Angeles Lakers superstar guard Luka Doncic finally provides some insight on his recovery process and the difficulty of being stuck on the sideline.

The Lakers need him, down 0-1 to the Thunder after they scored just 90 points in Game 1 despite a big night from LeBron.

Lakers urged to trade $165 million ex-Mavericks superstar after recent injury concerns originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here. The Los Angeles Lakers ' second-round playoff series against the Oklahoma City Thunder is already off to a rough start.

After mostly keeping Oklahoma City from playing its best, the Lakers still left Game 1 asking themselves "what if?"

NBA playoffs picks, predictions, odds, TV channel, how to watch, stream Los Angeles Lakers vs Oklahoma City Thunder NBA playoff game on May 7, 2026.

The Thunder overwhelm the Lakers 108-90 in Game 1, exposing major gaps in depth, shooting, and defense. Without Luka Doncic, Los Angeles looks outmatched against the reigning champions.

The Los Angeles Lakers knew they'd have a tall task going up against the defending champs, and the Oklahoma City Thunder only proved that further in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals.