'Frustrated' Lakers star Doncic wary of returning from injury too soon

[p]"I don't think people understand how frustrating it is," the 27-year-old Slovenian told reporters in Oklahoma City, where the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/los-angeles-lakers/ngegZ8bg/"]Lakers[/a] dropped [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/basketball/los-angeles-lakers-ngegZ8bg/oklahoma-city-thunder-0fHFHEWD/?mid=nungPz1N"]Game 1 of their second-round series[/a] against the reigning champion [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/oklahoma-city-thunder/0fHFHEWD/"]Thunder[/a] on Tuesday.[/p][p][b]"All I want to do is play basketball, especially this time. It's the best time to play basketball."[/b][/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/doncic-luka/pQ4ZBK0o/"]Doncic[/a] was injured on April 2nd, missing the final few games of the regular season and the Lakers' first-round victory over the Houston Rockets.[/p][p][b]"It's very frustrating seeing what my team is doing. I'm very proud of them. It's been very tough just to sit and watch them play,"[/b] he said.[/p][p]He said he was told after an initial MRI scan that recovery would take eight weeks.[/p][embed guid="bd5056a9-a56d-404b-b43f-570af1468129" url="https://x.com/Lakers/status/2051861520703721940" social-type="twitter" /][p]Doncic, who moved to Spain as a teenager and launched his professional career with Real Madrid, said he travelled to Spain to receive platelet-rich plasma treatments in a bid to hasten his recovery.[/p][p][b]"I think that is one of the best countries to do that,"[/b] he said, adding that he had consulted with Lakers doctors and "everybody agreed for me to go there."[/p][p]While Doncic said he is "doing everything I can" to return, he's leery of coming back before regaining full fitness.[/p][p][b]"It's a tough one for me because I came back from injuries (before) too soon, and it wasn't the best result,"[/b] he said.[/p][p][b]"It's not the same as other injuries,"[/b] he said of the hamstring injury.[/p][p][b]"You have to be very careful, and I'm doing everything to come back,"[/b] added Doncic, who says he has resumed running in training but hasn't taken part in any contact drills.[/p][image alt="Doncic's stats for the 2025/26 NBA season" id="548a49d1-4a4d-435e-bebd-9344ec7f5ba7" credit-line="Flashscore / Photo by ANDY LYONS / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / GETTY IMAGES VIA AFP" guid="da4c3fef-d39a-4c0d-b8e6-9d0564af2029" original-width="1080" original-height="1080" /][p]Doncic led the league in scoring in the regular season, averaging 33.5 points per game with 8.3 assists and 7.7 rebounds.[/p][p]James noted after the Lakers were held to 90 points in Tuesday's game that Doncic's offensive presence was sorely missed.[/p][p]"We're playing against the number one defensive team in the NBA," James said. [b]"When you play against great defences, you have to have guys that can attract multiple defenders on the floor at all times... when you play against the world champions, having a guy that averages 34 (points per game), that's special."[/b][/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/basketball/usa/nba/"]Follow the NBA playoffs with Flashscore.[/a][/b][/p]