Los Angeles ruled Luka Dončić out for Game 4 of its Western Conference semifinal series against Oklahoma City, extending a postseason absence that began April 2 when he suffered a Grade 2 left hamstring strain.
The game was scheduled for 9:30 p.m. CT Monday, with the Thunder holding a 3-0 lead after a 131-108 road win on Saturday. Dončić said May 6 in Oklahoma City that he has started running but has not yet been cleared for full contact. “I’m just doing everything I can,” he said. He added that he is “going day by day” after being told eight weeks at the time of his first MRI.
Dončić has been sidelined in the NBA playoffs since April 2, and the source said he was the league’s leading scorer when Los Angeles ruled him out for Game 4. Oklahoma City entered the night with a chance to close in on the Western Conference finals, while Los Angeles faced the task of extending the series without its top scorer.
The same injury-heavy series has also kept Jalen Williams out for Oklahoma City. Williams was ruled out for Game 4 as well after suffering a Grade 1 left hamstring strain on April 22, and he has not played in the best-of-seven matchup. That left both teams waiting on injured starters while the Thunder sat one win from the conference finals and the Lakers tried to find a way back.
