The Los Angeles Lakers are hoping to gain momentum coming out of the NBA All-Star break, especially with Luka Doncic trending toward a return. With the playoff race tightening in the Western Conference, Los Angeles is counting on improved health to strengthen its push toward legitimatechampionship contention.
After the All-Star festivities concluded, Doncic addressed the media and offered a positive update on the hamstring injury that had sidelined him for the previous four games. The Slovenian star made it clear that participating, even in a limited fashion, was important to him.
“It was good. Obviously, the fans voted for me in this game, so I wanted to be there. I played a little bit, but it felt good,” Doncic said when asked about how his hamstring responded to the brief action.
Doncic, who received the most votes among Western Conference players for this year’s All-Star selection, logged just five minutes in the opening game before shutting it down. He finished with two points and two assists, shooting one of three from the field, as the Lakers prioritized caution over risk.
Doncic critiques Team World performance at All Star
Later in the press conference, Doncic reflected on Team World’s showing under the event’s new format. He suggested that injuries, much like those affecting the Lakers in the NBA season, also impacted Team World’s overall rhythm and depth.
“Yeah, I think it was good, you could see it was a little bit better,” Doncic said. “They added one more game, but we didn’t make it, and we had some injuries on our team again. We’ll be better next year, hopefully.”
Doncic also echoed the sentiments of several fellow All-Stars by crediting Victor Wembanyama for raising the competitive intensity. According to Doncic, Wembanyama’s approach set the tone and pushed others to elevate their performance throughout the event.
As for his immediate future, Doncic remained cautious when asked about playing Friday at home against the Los Angeles Clippers. “We’ll see,” he said. LeBron James also acknowledged that health remains the Lakers’ biggest obstacle, a sentiment Doncic clearly shares as Los Angeles looks to reestablish itself in the postseason race.