Luka Doncic pushed back against media speculation surrounding his injury status after the Los Angeles Lakers were swept out of the 2026 NBA playoffs by the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder.
The Lakers’ season ended Monday night with a 115-110 loss in Game 4 of the Western Conference Semifinals at Crypto.com Arena. While the Thunder completed a dominant 4-0 series sweep, much of the post-series attention centered on Doncic’s absence and his frustration with recent reporting about his recovery.
Doncic missed the entire series because of a Grade 2 left hamstring strain suffered on April 2 during a regular-season loss against Oklahoma City. Reports before the series claimed the five-time All-Star was progressing slowly and had not resumed full-contact workouts.
MORE: Lakers’ Luka Doncic draws fresh criticism from Ric Flair
Speaking to reporters after the elimination, Doncic strongly denied suggestions that he was close to returning.
“I mean, yeah, it’s very frustrating,” Doncic said. “I know some people wanted me back, but obviously, I wasn’t close to clearing. You know, there was some stuff in the media that went out that wasn’t true. Nobody of those people saw my MRIs, knew nothing, so it wasn’t really true. If I could be out there, I would be 100%. Everybody in that room knows that.”
The comments appeared directed at ESPN insider Shams Charania, who reported before the matchup that Doncic would miss the start of the series because of a ‘slow path’ in his recovery.
“I’m told Luka will be out to start the series…,” Charania said. “One source told me it’s still a slow path on Doncic’s recovery. He’s doing more on the court but still not doing full-contact workouts.”
Luka Doncic on missing the Lakers’ playoff games
The doctors had given Doncic an eight-week recovery timeline after the MRI results. The injury also marked the second time he damaged the same hamstring during the 2025-26 season, leading the Lakers’ medical staff to take a cautious approach.
Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) looks on from the bench during the 2026 NBA Playoffs against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
The 27-year-old even traveled to Spain for platelet-rich plasma therapy in hopes of speeding up the healing process. Despite progress with light running and shooting drills, he never received clearance for full-speed basketball activities.
“But it’s been very tough,” Doncic said. “Like I said, this is the best time to play basketball. I was sad not to be able to help my team. So, looking to the offseason, obviously I’m still doing recovery, so that’s the first thing.”
The Lakers struggled without their leading scorer, while Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder into the Western Conference Finals.
