Luka Doncic #77 and Austin Reaves #15 of the Los Angeles Lakers during a timeout against the Chicago Bulls at Crypto.com Arena on March 12, 2026.

Luka Doncic #77 and Austin Reaves #15 of the Los Angeles Lakers hold hands during a timeout against the Chicago Bulls on March 12, 2026. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)

Los Angeles Lakers Don’t Expect Luka Dončić To Play In Houston Rockets Series; Austin Reaves Could

Ashish MathurApril 21, 2026 4:13 PM

DHJ Quick Take

Luka Dončić Out: The Los Angeles Lakers do not expect Dončić to appear in the series against the Houston Rockets as he continues to recover from a Grade 2 left hamstring strain.
Austin Reaves Status: Unlike Dončić, Reaves is considered a possibility to return during the postseason series while healing from a Grade 2 left oblique strain.
Injury Timeline: Both stars have been sidelined since April 2, following injuries sustained during the same game against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The Los Angeles Lakers don’t expect Luka Dončić to play in the Houston Rockets postseason series, but Austin Reaves could, per Shams Charania of ESPN.

Dončić is recovering from a Grade 2 left hamstring strain, while Reaves is healing from a Grade 2 left oblique strain. Both players got hurt on April 2 against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The latest on the rehabs of Lakers star guards Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves for NBA Today: pic.twitter.com/HA4sfuckrN
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 21, 2026

Dončić and Reaves were the highest-scoring duo in the NBA this season at 56.8 points per game. The Lakers are the fourth seed in the Western Conference playoffs. They won Game 1 against the Rockets at home.

Dončić led the league in total points and points per game in his first full season with the Lakers. He averaged 33.5 points, 7.7 rebounds and 8.3 assists a night while shooting 47.6% from the field, 36.6% from beyond the arc and 78.0% from the free-throw line. The former Dallas Mavericks star went to Spain to receive injections in his injured left hamstring to promote healing and expedite his return to the court.

Meanwhile, Reaves put up 23.3 points, 4.7 rebounds and 5.5 assists per contest this season. He shot 49.0% from the floor, 36.0% from 3 and 87.1% from the foul line. The undrafted guard is expected to decline his player option for next season and become an unrestricted free agent this offseason.

If the Lakers beat the Rockets in the first round, they will face the winner of the Thunder-Phoenix Suns series in the second round. OKC, the defending NBA champion, is widely expected to beat Phoenix.

Los Angeles lost to the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round of the 2025 playoffs in five games. Dončić, Reaves and LeBron James had much better chemistry this season as a trio compared to last season. The Lakers went 15-2 in March and looked like a championship contender. However, everything changed on April 2 when Dončić and Reaves went down.

It will be fascinating to see if Reaves returns in the Lakers-Rockets series. As for Dončić, we probably won’t see him on the court again unless Los Angeles beats Houston in the seven-game series.