Injured Luka Dončić he still doesn’t know when he will be able to help his Los Angeles Lakers teammates in the NBA Western Conference semifinals against the defending champions, the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Slovenian star emphasized that he is doing everything to return to the floor as soon as possible.
“I’m doing everything I can to get back as soon as possible. I follow the protocol every day. The doctors told me at the first MRI scan that I would be out for eight weeks. That’s why I go day by day and every day I feel a little better,” Dončić told media representatives in the team hotel, including ESPN and California Post. Vnovič repeated that the date of his return to the field is not yet known. Thursday will mark five weeks since the injury.
The Slovenian ace injured his thigh muscle on April 2 against Oklahoma, and then did not play again. From the bench, he watched the victory of his teammates in the first round of the playoffs against the Houston Rockets (4:2). The best scorer in the regular season of the league (33.5 points per game), the Jezerniki would still need it in the semifinals against Oklahoma, which defeated the team from Los Angeles 108:90 in the first game.
This injury is different from others
“It is very difficult for me, because it has happened to me before that I came back too soon after injury. You have to be very careful because this injury is different from the previous ones,” he explained, adding: “I don’t know if people understand how difficult it is for me. I want to play basketball, especially during this period. It’s frustrating just to sit and watch my team, but I’m very proud of them,” added the 27-year-old Slovenian, who has already started training again, but not with the contact game.
The Oklahoma City Thunder basketball team is considered a big favorite in the match. A possible return of Dončić would increase the chances of the Jezerniks, who are currently struggling under the leadership of a veteran LeBron James.
The American veteran emphasized this once again today: “We are playing against the best defensive team in the NBA. When you’re playing against a top defense, you need players who can draw multiple defenders at all times. And when you’re playing against the current champions and you’re missing a player who averages 34 points, eight rebounds and nine assists and is so special, that’s a big disadvantage.”
