OKLAHOMA CITY — Two star players will be absent when the Western Conference semifinals tip off Tuesday night, as both Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic and Oklahoma City Thunder guard/forward Jalen Williams have been sidelined due to left hamstring injuries.
Both franchises submitted their injury reports to the NBA on Monday, confirming the players’ unavailability for the crucial playoff opener.
Doncic sustained his injury during a game in Oklahoma City approximately one month ago and has remained out of action since. The NBA’s scoring leader posted impressive regular season numbers, recording 33.5 points per game along with 7.7 rebounds and 8.3 assists.
Lakers head coach JJ Redick has remained noncommittal about Doncic’s potential return timeline, noting that this type of injury can sideline players for up to two months. Despite his absence from game action, Doncic participated in three-point shooting drills with his teammates during Monday’s practice session before the team departed for Oklahoma City.
Williams, who earned All-Star recognition for 2025, sat out the final two contests of Oklahoma City’s first-round matchup against Phoenix due to his hamstring issue. Thunder coach Mark Daigneault stopped short of clearing Williams for action, stating Monday that the player continues to make progress in his recovery.
During a regular season marred by various injuries, Williams contributed 17.1 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 5.5 assists per game. His playoff performance was even more impressive, averaging 20.5 points while shooting 61.5% from the field in Oklahoma City’s opening two postseason games before suffering the injury in the third quarter of Game 2. Ajay Mitchell stepped into the starting role and contributed to the Thunder’s series sweep.
