When it rains, it pours for the Los Angeles Lakers.
JJ Redick’s team was trending up at the right time before disaster struck. Luka Doncic suffered a Grade 2 hamstring strain, and Austin Reaves suffered a Grade 2 oblique sprain in the span of 24 hours.
They missed the final stretch of the regular season, and their status for the first-round matchup against the Houston Rockets is up in the air.
ESPN insider Shams Charania recently revealed more info on their statuses.
Luka Doncic still has a chance to play in the first round
“The expectations around the Lakers are that they will both be out to start the first round this weekend,” Charania said on “The Pat McAfee Show.”
Doncic left the country to seek alternative treatment and potentially propel a quicker return to action. As for Reaves, chances are that he won’t play in the first round at all.
“Luka Doncic spent the last week in Spain … and he underwent multiple injection treatments in that hamstring,” Charania added. “…My understanding is he will back in the states on Tuesday and they’re going to re-evaluate him. Austin Reaves, he’s out for the majority of this first-round series.”
The Lakers held on to secure the third seed, but they’ll face a tough, physical Rockets team that could make life difficult in the paint for LeBron James.
Expecting the 41-year-old to do all the heavy lifting might not be realistic, even though he closed out the regular season on a high note.
That said, if he can hold down the fort and secure at least one win in the first three games, they might still have a chance to avoid an upset if Doncic returns at some point.