Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic and Oklahoma City Thunder guard/forward Jalen Williams have been officially ruled out for Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals due to hamstring injuries.
The teams submitted their injury reports ahead of the playoff match on Tuesday night.
Doncic, the league's scoring champion, has not played since sustaining his injury about a month ago. During the regular season, he averaged 33.5 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 8.3 assists.
Lakers coach JJ Redick has not provided a timeline for Doncic's return, noting that recovery from such injuries can take up to two months. Despite his absence, Doncic was seen shooting three-pointers with teammates during practice.
Williams, a 2025 All-Star, has also been sidelined. He missed the final two games of the first-round series against the Phoenix Suns due to a left hamstring injury. Thunder coach Mark Daigneault mentioned that Williams is making progress but did not confirm when he would return.
In the regular season, Williams averaged 17.1 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 5.5 assists. He had an impressive playoff performance with 20.5 points per game at a 61.5% shooting clip before his injury in Game 2.
Ajay Mitchell stepped into the starting lineup and played a crucial role in helping the Thunder sweep the Suns in the first round.