Luka Doncic rejoining Lakers after getting injury treatment in Europe - BERITAJA

Luka Doncic will beryllium backmost for the opening of the Lakers’ playoff run. Just not connected the court.

The Lakers’ superstar will rejoin the squad by Friday aft walking to Spain to person specialized curen connected his Grade 2 hamstring strain, a root acquainted pinch the business confirmed to The Times, but location is nary timetable for Doncic’s return to the lineup.

Doncic suffered the wounded successful a crippled against Oklahoma City connected April 2. A Grade 2 strain typically requires 4 to six weeks of recovery, but Doncic traveled to Europe to person injections connected his near hamstring pinch the dream of speeding up the betterment process.

The Lakers (53-29) look the Houston Rockets successful Game 1 of the first information connected Saturday astatine 5:30 p.m. astatine Crypto.com Arena. The fourth-seeded Lakers are looking for their first playoff bid triumph since 2023.

They are underdogs without Doncic and guard Austin Reaves, who suffered a Grade 2 near oblique strain successful the aforesaid game. Doncic led the convention successful scoring pinch 33.5 points per game. Reaves, the team’s second-leading scorer astatine 23.3 points per game, is expected to miss 4 to six weeks pinch his injury.

The Lakers vanished the play pinch 3 consecutive wins to clasp onto home-court advantage successful the first round. LeBron James reasserted himself arsenic the team’s apical player, averaging 25.5 points, 11 assists, 6.8 rebounds and 2.5 steals successful the games since Doncic and Reaves were injured. He was named Western Conference subordinate of the week Monday aft starring the Lakers to a 3-1 grounds successful the last week of the regular season.

The Lakers went 2-1 against the Rockets (52-30) during the regular season, but Doncic played a awesome domiciled successful the 2 wins. He scored 76 points successful the victories, which came successful a two-game bid successful Houston that resembled a playoff ambiance successful March.

The Rockets vanished the play pinch 9 wins successful their past 10 games.

Staff writer Broderick Turner contributed to this report.