Is Luka Doncic Playing Tonight? (Injury Update, Betting Impact for Thunder vs. Lakers Game 4)

Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Doncic has once again been ruled out with a hamstring injury ahead of Game 4 of the Western Conference semifinals against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The Lakers are facing elimination after falling down 3-0 in this series, and it doesn't make any sense for them to rush Doncic back from a pretty serious injury. The star guard suffered a Grade 2 hamstring strain in early April, and he was given an eight-week timeline to return to play (which would still be a few weeks away).

Last week, Doncic revealed that he had not been cleared for full contact, making him a long shot to play in this series.

Luka Doncic (hamstring) updates:

- Said he's started running
- Has yet to be cleared for full contact
- Said his original timetable given to him was 8 weeks (his injury occurred about 5 weeks ago)
— Underdog NBA (@UnderdogNBA) May 6, 2026

With the star guard out of the lineup, the Lakers are 10.5-point home underdogs in Game 4 as they hope to avoid a sweep againt the defending champs. DraftKings Sportsbook has Los Angeles at +390 to win the game and +50000 to win the NBA Finals.

The Lakers simply don't have the firepower to compete with OKC's depth with Doncic sidelined, and oddsmakers have moved L.A. from an 8.5-point home dog in Game 3 to a 10.5-point dog in Game 4. The Lakers are 0-7 against the Thunder this season (including regular season) and all but one of those matchups has ended with a loss by 18 or more points.

Doncic is impossible to replace for L.A., as during the regular season, as he averaged 33.5 points, 7.7 rebounds and 8.3 assists per game while shooting 47.6 percent from the field and 36.6 percent from 3.

The Thunder are odds-on favorites to win the NBA Finals (-175), so it wouldn't be surprising if they won Game 4 and advanced to the Western Conference Finals.

Austin Reaves, LeBron James and Marcus Smart will all carry a bigger burden on offense with Doncic sidelined, but so far that has not been enough for the Lakers to put together two good halves in a row against the defending champs.

Barring an insane Lakers comeback, Doncic likely won't suit up again until the 2026-27 season begins.

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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