The Los Angeles Lakers are dealing with some big-time injury issues entering their first-round series against the Houston Rockets.
Lakers stars Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves are both sidelined, while key role player Marcus Smart has also been banged up as of late. Will the Lakers have any of their key contributors returning for Game 1 on Saturday evening? And will Kevin Durant’s late addition to the injury report with a right knee contusion have an impact on the series?
Lakers Face Serious Injury Concerns Entering Rockets First-Round Series
Back on April 2, Dončić and Reaves suffered Grade 2 strains in a game against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Dončić grabbed his left hamstring midway through the third quarter and collapsed on the court in Oklahoma City, while Reaves hurt his oblique.
Will Dončić and Reaves be back for the playoffs at all? According to ESPN NBA reporter Dave McMenamin, “Sources told ESPN they have no expectation of having either Dončić or Reaves back at any part of the first round. But they also have not completely ruled out the possibility of one or both of them becoming available the longer the series lasts.”
Smart missed eight-straight games recently with a right ankle injury, but he returned for two contests late in the regular season and looks good to go for Game 1.
As for the Rockets, they also have an injury issue worth monitoring as Saturday’s game approaches. Durant was added to the injury report on Friday evening with a right knee contusion, and he’s officially listed as questionable. Even if Durant plays in Game 1, it remains to be seen if he would be limited or on a minutes restriction.
This season, Durant is averaging 26.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 2.4 3s, 0.9 blocks, and 0.8 steals, while shooting 52% from the field and 41.3% from 3-point range.
Aside from Durant, the Rockets won’t have Fred VanVleet (torn ACL) and Stephen Adams (left ankle surgery), who both suffered season-ending injuries. However, Houston has been without for them for months and is still rolling, including winning nine of 10 games to enter the postseason.
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Game 1 between the Lakers and Rockets is set to tip off at 8:30 p.m. ET on Saturday night, while Game 2 is scheduled for Tuesday night at 10:30 p.m. ET. ABC will be carrying Saturday night’s game, while Peacock will be airing Game 2 from Crypto.com Arena before the series shifts to Houston and the Toyota Center.
Dončić, in 64 games in the 2025-26 season, is averaging 33.5 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 8.3 assists per game, while shooting 47.6% from the floor and 36.6% from beyond the 3-point arc.
Reaves, in 51 games this season, is averaging 23.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 5.5 assists per game. He is shooting 49.0% from the floor, 36.0% from beyond the 3-point arc, and 87.1% from the free-throw line this season.
Without Dončić and Reaves in the Lakers’ lineup, LeBron James will be under additional pressure to pick up the slack. Lakers coach JJ Redick has said that it will be all hands on deck while also noting that role players like Smart, Deandre Ayton, and even Bronny James will need to step up and play an increased role given the injuries.
