Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves Face Uncertain Timelines as Lakers Gear Up for Playoffs
Lakers Coach JJ Redick Provides Injury Update Ahead of Playoffs
Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick delivered an injury update on Tuesday regarding the team’s top two scorers, Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, as they prepare for their first-round playoff series against the Houston Rockets.
Unfortunately for the Lakers, both players will be sidelined at the outset of the playoffs.
“They’re out indefinitely,” Redick stated following practice at the team’s training complex. “I’m not going to have an update for you this week.”
Doncic, who strained a hamstring, and Reaves, who sustained an oblique strain, both suffered their injuries during a loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on April 2. Neither player returned for the remainder of the regular season. The Lakers will face the Rockets in Game 1 on Saturday night.
Doncic is expected to return to Los Angeles on Friday after traveling to Spain last week for treatment on his hamstring, according to a source familiar with the situation who requested anonymity. Details surrounding the recovery of the NBA scoring champion have not been disclosed by either Doncic or the Lakers.
Meanwhile, Reaves remains in Los Angeles and was seen shooting free throws with teammates following Tuesday’s practice. The severity of his oblique strain suggests he may miss the entire first-round series, though no timeline has been established for the recovery of either player, injuries of this nature often requiring a month or more to heal.
When healthy, Doncic and Reaves have been pivotal for the Lakers, averaging a combined 56.8 points, 13.8 assists, and 12.4 rebounds per game this season. Their absence severely impacts Los Angeles’ playoff aspirations. Despite the setbacks, the Lakers managed a 3-2 record during their absence, securing home-court advantage for the first round, thanks in part to LeBron James stepping up as the primary offensive leader.
In their strategy to counter the Rockets’ aggressive defense, the Lakers are also utilizing Luke Kennard as a ballhandler and have welcomed back guard Marcus Smart, who missed nearly three weeks due to a right ankle injury.
“They’re aggressive, and we’re going to try to use it against them,” Smart remarked. “We’ve got some things put in, some different guys that are going to bring it up. They’re going to come out firing, and we’ve got to come out firing, too.”
Additionally, backup center Jaxson Hayes is prepared to return after resting a left foot injury that had sidelined him for the last four games of the regular season.
“I was going to play no matter what,” Hayes expressed. “If I was hurting, I’d be playing.”
