Luka Doncic Return: form, fitness, forecast

Lakers guard Luka Doncic will not be available for the team's Game 6 first-round matchup against the Rockets with a hamstring injury. Luka Doncic Return has emerged this Saturday as one of the stories drawing attention in Philippines.

Key facts

• Lakers guard Luka Doncic will not be available for the team's Game 6 first-round matchup against the Rockets with a hamstring injury.
• The absence of Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic hasn't affected the team so far in their first-round Western Conference matchup against the Houston Rockets.
• Editor's note: The Lakers defeated the Rockets in Game 6 to advance to the second round.
• Doncic was injured on April 2 against the Oklahoma City Thunder, diagnosed with a Grade 2 left hamstring strain, and hasn't played since.
• Doncic is not expected to be ready for the start of that series because of the injury.

What we know

Going deeper, the absence of Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic hasn't affected the team so far in their first-round Western Conference matchup against the Houston Rockets.

On the substance, Editor's note: The Lakers defeated the Rockets in Game 6 to advance to the second round.

Beyond the headlines, Doncic was injured on April 2 against the Oklahoma City Thunder, diagnosed with a Grade 2 left hamstring strain, and hasn't played since.

More precisely, Doncic is not expected to be ready for the start of that series because of the injury.

It is worth noting that the Lakers took the first three games of the series, but have dropped the last two, including a 99-93 loss in Game 5.

By the numbers

At this stage, the Rockets are looking to become the first NBA team to force a Game 7 since the Boston Celtics in the 2023 Eastern Conference Finals against the Miami Heat.

On a related note, each of the three previous NBA teams that forced a series finale down 0-3 lost Game 7.

Going deeper, Should the Lakers advance, their opponent will be the Thunder, who beat Los Angeles in all four regular-season meetings, winning by an average of 22 points per game.

The bottom line

• The absence of Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic hasn't affected the team so far in their first-round Western Conference matchup against the Houston Rockets.
• The Lakers took the first three games of the series, but have dropped the last two, including a 99-93 loss in Game 5.
• The Rockets are looking to become the first NBA team to force a Game 7 since the Boston Celtics in the 2023 Eastern Conference Finals against the Miami Heat.