Luka Doncic Addresses Not Playing After Lakers Get Swept by Thunder
The Los Angeles Lakers fought until the end in Game 4, with a valiant effort, but unfortunately, Oklahoma City had other plans, finishing off LeBron James and company in a 4-0 sweep.
LeBron finished with 24 points, while teammate Austin Reaves scored a team-high 27 in the loss. Rui Hachimura also shot 9-of-15 to finish with 25 points, while Jaxson Hayes came off the bench to score 18.
However, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander showed why he’s likely the two-time NBA MVP and his team is the defending champions.
The Lakers held a four-point lead going into the fourth quarter and looked poised to extend the series, but SGA and his squad kept scoring. With 32.8 seconds left, his teammate, Chet Holmgren, had a tiebreaking dunk to help OKC secure the win.
And Los Angeles’ playoff run brought an end to LeBron’s 23rd season and 19th postseason, with his superstar teammate Luka Doncic watching everything unfold from the bench due to a Grade 2 left hamstring strain he suffered in early April.
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Following the loss, Luka appeared at a postgame press conference to share his thoughts about not being able to participate in these NBA Playoffs with his team.
“It’s very frustrating. I know some people wanted me back, but obviously I wasn’t close to clearing,” he said. “There was some stuff in the media that went out that wasn’t true. Nobody of those people saw my MRIs.”
“If I could be out there, I would be 100 percent. Everybody in that room knows that,” Luka said postgame. “It’s been really tough. This is the best time to play basketball.”
He said he’ll continue to work on his recovery in the offseason, which has brought plenty of questions about this team. Particularly, many are wondering about the future of LeBron James. There won’t be any decisions regarding Luka’s future, though.
Regardless of what LeBron does, the Lakers made the business move with their blockbuster trade for Luka over a season ago. That investment is the biggest reason to ensure he returns to the court healthy, rather than rushing back.
There had been plenty of examples of players who suffered serious injuries last postseason and this season, including Jayson Tatum, Damian Lillard, and Tyrese Haliburton. All but Tatum missed all of last season due to brutal injuries suffered last postseason.
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This story was originally published May 12, 2026 at 9:38 AM.