Luka Doncic returns to Los Angeles after hamstring treatments in Spain

Key Points:

• Luka Doncic has returned to Los Angeles after undergoing platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and stem cell treatments in Spain for a strained left hamstring, but his availability for the Lakers' first-round playoff series against the Houston Rockets remains uncertain.
• Lakers coach JJ Redick announced that both Doncic and Austin Reaves, who is dealing with a strained oblique, are out indefinitely following injuries sustained on April 2 against the Thunder.
• Players with a Grade 2 hamstring strain typically require three to five weeks of recovery, and while PRP treatments may accelerate healing, their effectiveness is not conclusively proven by randomized controlled studies.
• Without Doncic and Reaves, the Lakers face a challenging playoff series relying heavily on 41-year-old LeBron James against Houston’s strong defense led by Amen Thompson, making them heavy underdogs.
• Doncic had an MVP-caliber season averaging 33.8 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 8.3 assists per game but played only 64 games, falling short of the 65-game threshold for postseason awards; an appeal is underway due to extraordinary circumstances related to missing games for the birth of his child, with results expected soon.