The Los Angeles Lakers will open their second-round series against the NBA’s top overall seed without their leading scorer, as Luka Doncic has been ruled out for Game 1 against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday.
Earlier in the day, head coach JJ Redick declined to offer an update on his star guard before the Lakers officially listed Doncic as out Monday evening.
Doncic, who is averaging 33.5 points per game, has been sidelined throughout the playoffs after suffering a left hamstring strain in a 139-96 loss to the Thunder. Despite his absence, the fourth-seeded Lakers (53-29) advanced past the fifth-seeded Houston Rockets 4-2 in the opening round.
The Thunder posted the league’s best record at 64-18 during the regular season before opening their playoff run with a 4-0 sweep of the Phoenix Suns.
The Lakers have gone 0-4 against the Thunder this season, with just one loss coming by fewer than 10 points.
Doncic’s status aligns with recent reporting on the matter. On Sunday, ESPN described him as on a “slow path” in his recovery, with no return yet to full-contact workouts and a designation of week-to-week.
A six-time All-Star and two-time scoring champion, Doncic also averaged 7.7 rebounds and 8.3 assists per game in 2025-26, his first full season in Los Angeles.
