Amid reports of Austin Reaves possibly suiting up for Game 5, there continues to be an eye on Luka Dončić’s availability for the ongoing first-round playoff matchup against the Houston Rockets.
The mercurial guard has not played since his hamstring injury on April 2 against the Oklahoma City Thunder, the same game where even Reaves sustained his Grade 2 oblique strain. The backcourt duo has been sidelined since.
Luka Dončić Injury Update: Will Lakers Superstar Play Game 5 Against the Rockets?
At the time of writing, Dončić is not expected to play in this series. Adding to this was the latest from ESPN and league insider Shams Charania.
In his report detailing Reaves’ possible Game 5 return, he wrote, “Los Angeles continues to be without star Luka Dončić as he recovers from a hamstring injury he also suffered on April 2.”
The Slovenian superstar was the major talking point about the Lakers ahead of the playoffs. Upon his injury diagnosis, he jetted to Spain for treatment for his hamstring to accelerate recovery. Per multiple reports, the guard received platelet-rich plasma and stem cell treatments on his left hamstring. He returned to LA just before the start of the series.
On the season front, it was an MVP-level run for Dončić, as he averaged a league-high 33.5 points per game, along with 7.7 rebounds and 8.3 assists per game in 64 regular-season games.
The latest comes after head coach JJ Redick shared an update on the PG’s return timeline. “Most of his stuff [before] had been standstill,” the former sharpshooter said ahead of Game 4, per BasketNews. “He’s progressing, but no update on any timeline or anything like that.”
While the Lakers have missed his immaculate playmaking and lethal shooting, they have still managed to stun the Rockets with a 3-1 series lead so far.
Before losing Game 4, they took a commanding 3-0 lead, led by LeBron James, with the four-time NBA champion performing at an elite level on both ends of the floor. He has been averaging 21.5 points, 8.8 assists and 8.3 rebounds in 4 games so far, and will certainly aim to finish strong in Game 5 tonight.
With Reaves expected to return for Game 5, they will look to end the series by bagging their fourth win.
At this point, Dončić will take as much rest as the window allows. Should the Lakers put away the Rockets on Wednesday, they will have to gear up for their sternest test yet against defending champions and title favorites, the Thunder, who sent the Phoenix Suns packing 4-0.
The Lakers pulled off three stunning wins over the Rockets, with impressive, spirited efforts on both ends of the court. James, the Purple and Gold went from underdogs to series favorites after their stellar performances.
However, Houston showed some semblance of a fight in Game 4 to make it 3-1. The Lakers still look to be the favorites for this series, mainly because of the fact that the Rockets aren’t expected to have Kevin Durant back any time soon. It will be interesting to see if the Lakers can finish the job tonight without their superstar.
