John Ireland says Luka isn’t close to returning
“He’s not close. He’s not running yet.”
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Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers celebrates the 98-78 win against the Houston Rockets in Game Six of the First Round of the NBA Western Conference Playoffs at Toyota Center on May 01, 2026 in Houston, Texas.
There’s been a lot of speculation about All-Star guard Luka Doncic’s injury status ahead of the second-round playoff series between the Los Angeles Lakers and Oklahoma City Thunder.
On Friday, Lakers fans got an update from within the franchise.
Ahead of Game 6 of the Lakers vs. Houston Rockets series, longtime Lakers radio announcer John Ireland dropped a bombshell while on the air.
“He’s not close. He’s not running yet,” Ireland said of Doncic, via LakersDaily.
John Ireland says Luka isn’t close to returning
“He’s not close. He’s not running yet.”
Luka Doncic has NOT yet begun running and is not close to returning, per @LAIreland 🚨
His timetable is unclear on whether he’ll play again this season…
Ireland’s update is obviously a devastating blow for a Lakers team that prepares for a second-round series against OKC, the reigning NBA champions and overwhelming favorites to hoist the Larry O’Brien Trophy for a second consecutive year.
Other NBA insiders like ESPN’s Brian Windhorst and ClutchPoints’ Brett Siegel offered similar Luka Doncic injury updates after the Lakers beat the Rockets in Game 6.
“He’s not close,” Windhorst told “SC with SVP” on Friday night.
“Most likely you’re not gonna see Luka Doncic at the front end of this series, maybe at least for another week to 10 days on the minimum. So the Lakers are gonna have to face reality, they’re gonna have to do it without (him).”
Siegel said there’s “optimism” that Doncic could begin ramping next week.
“As reported earlier this week on @ClutchPoints — Luka Doncic has still yet to start 1-on-1 drills/practice. He is however starting to do light individual work.
“His return is still not clear nor close, but there is optimism he can begin ramping up his activities next week.”
The only positive bit of news for the Lakers is that Doncic was all smiles while cheering for the Lakers on Friday. He even made a trick shot at the halftime buzzer that got fans excited, a video of which the NBA shared on its social media feeds.
“Luka magic, even while out!”
Furthermore, Doncic made several posts on his Instagram to celebrate LeBron James and Rui Hachimura’s strong performances in Friday’s win.
Luka showing love to Lebron 🔥
Luka showing love to Rui 🔥
The 27-year-old Doncic led the NBA with 33.5 points in his first full season with the Lakers, less than a year after arriving from the Dallas Mavericks. He sustained a grade 2 hamstring strain on April 2, barely two weeks before the end of the regular season. As a result, the Lakers entered the first-round series against the Rockets as massive +550 underdogs, with nobody giving them even a puncher’s chance to win. However, LeBron James turned back the clock and carried the Lakers to an impressive 4-2 series win.
Lakers vs Thunder Game 1 is scheduled for Tuesday. The Lakers will play a game every other day, meaning Doncic is essentially on the clock.
Sai Mohan covers the NBA for Heavy.com. Based in Portugal, Sai is a seasoned sports writer with nearly two decades of publishing experience, including bylines at Yardbarker, FanSided's Hoops Habit, International Business Times, Hindustan Times and more. More about Sai Mohan
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