Both the Lakers and Thunder have key players nursing injuries as their best-of-seven Western Conference semifinal series begins. LA’s Luka Dončić has been out since April 2, and OKC’s Jalen Williams has been out since April 22. Both are dealing with hamstring injuries.
Below, we will give the latest information on when both players will return and be back in uniform for their respective teams.
When will Luka Dončić return to the Lakers’ lineup?
Had Dončić injury occurred early or midway through the regular season, he likely would be out at least two months. But, with the Lakers in the playoffs, there is a mad rush to get him back on the floor.
Dončić has been ruled out for Game 1 of the Lakers versus Thunder series, but there is hope on the LA side that he can return at some point in the series against OKC.
The six-time NBA All-Star suffered a Grade 2 hamstring injury on April 2. Recovery from this sort of injury can take anywhere from three to eight weeks. It has now been four weeks and five days since the time of the injury.
Dončić went to Spain shortly after the injury occurred in order to receive regenerative treatments that are not readily available in the US. The hope was that the treatments would speed up his recovery, but Dončić remains on the shelf.
The Slovenian superstar was seen going through spot-up shooting drills at Lakers practice on Monday.
Lakers head coach JJ Redick was asked about Dončić’s availability for Game 1 Tuesday night. Redick simply responded, “I don’t have any updates on Luka,” according to California Post reporter Khobi Price.
ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said this past Saturday that Dončić would likely miss the “front end” of the series against the Thunder and that he would be out for “at least another week to 10 days on the minimum.”
Game 3 of the Lakers - Thunder series takes place this Saturday, May 9, which would be exactly a week since Windhorst’s projection.
Here is a look at the series schedule for Lakers versus Thunder.
- Tuesday, May 5 Game 1: Lakers at Thunder
- Thursday, May 7 Game 2: Lakers at Thunder
- Saturday, May 9 Game 3: Thunder at Lakers
- Monday, May 11 Game 4: Thunder at Lakers
- Wednesday, May 13 Game 5: Lakers at Thunder*
- Saturday, May 16 Game 6: Thunder at Lakers*
- Monday, May 18 Game 7: Lakers at Thunder*
(*If necessary)
When will Jalen Williams return to the Thunder lineup?
Williams’ hamstring injury is a Grade 1 hamstring strain. It typically takes 1-3 weeks to recover from this type of injury. The OKC guard has now been out of action for 13 days and he has been ruled out to play Tuesday night in Game 1.
Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault spoke with reporters about Williams’ status on Monday.
“He’s progressing according to plan,” Daigneault said. “In terms of timeline, we’re not going to release that. We’ll continue to let you guys know on a week-to-week basis.”
OKC is a whopping -15.5 favorite for Game 1 against the Lakers even without Williams’ services. If the Thunder go up early in the series as expected, surely they will continue to rest Williams until he is 100 percent and his return is absolutely necessary. In other words, there is a chance we don’t see Williams until the Western Conference Finals if the Thunder make short work of the Lakers.
Lakers vs. Thunder odds
The Thunder are huge favorites over the Lakers at Fanatics Sportsbook as they are -1600 to win the Round 2 series.
The most likely outcome at Fanatics is a Thunder sweep at +120.
OKC remains the favorite to win the title, owning -170 odds. The Lakers are +3500 to win it all.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is -145 to win NBA Finals MVP, while Dončić is +4000 to win the award.
