OKLAHOMA CITY — Luka Doncic remains sidelined with a Grade 2 left hamstring strain as the Los Angeles Lakers battle the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference semifinals, with the superstar revealing an original eight-week recovery timeline that could keep him out until late May or potentially longer.

Doncic, acquired by the Lakers in a blockbuster offseason trade, has missed more than five weeks since suffering the injury on April 2 against these same Thunder. The Slovenian star provided his most detailed update yet Wednesday, confirming doctors initially projected eight weeks from his first MRI and emphasizing a cautious, day-by-day approach.

"I'm just doing everything I can," Doncic told reporters. "Every day I'm doing stuff I'm supposed to do. The doctor said eight weeks at the beginning of the first MRI. So I'm just going day by day and I feel better every day."

The timeline places a potential return around late May, meaning Doncic could miss the entire second-round series against Oklahoma City and possibly part of the Western Conference finals if the Lakers advance. He has not been cleared for full contact or 5-on-5 work, though he has begun running and on-court activity.

Injury Details and Early Treatment

Doncic suffered the Grade 2 strain in a regular-season finale loss to the Thunder. A partial tear to the hamstring muscle typically requires four to eight weeks, with Grade 2 injuries often falling in the middle to longer end of that spectrum due to the need to prevent........

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