Lakers Receive Surprising Luka Doncic Development Ahead of Game 1 vs Rockets

The Luka Doncic-starved Los Angeles Lakers are still awaiting some positive news on their superstar.

Doncic, 27, has been dealing with a Grade 2 hamstring strain for the last 16 days. Considering the 4-6 weeks return timeline that was floated by some sources, Doncic is still a little distant from closing in on a return to the court. 

The Lakers will take on the Houston Rockets tonight for Game 1 of the first round of the NBA playoffs without Doncic and Austin Reaves, L.A.’ second leading scorer.

As fate had it, Doncic (hamstring) and Reaves (oblique) each incurred a pair of Grade 2 strains April 2 against the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder. 

GettyOKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA – APRIL 02: Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts after a play during the second half against the Oklahoma City Thunder at the Paycom Center on April 2, 2026 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

First it was Reaves who began laboring. Reaves grabbed at his side area a few times early in the game but continued playing. As was the case with Doncic, who appeared gimpy early in the contest before suffering a strain in the third quarter. 

There has been plenty of discourse on the Lakers’ decisions to continue playing both stars even as they showed signs of being hurt. But there’s nothing that can be done about that now.

For now, the next best available Laker, LeBron James, will lead his ailing team into a playoff series with the chips stacked against them. 

Lakers Still Await Luka Doncic’s Return to the Team — Should They Be Concerned?

In hopes of expediting his return to the court, Doncic jetted across waters a few weeks ago to receive specialized medical attention for his Grade 2 hamstring strain.

Doncic reportedly flew to Spain to receive stem cell injections, a type of treatment that allegedly promotes faster healing of injured tissue in the body. It is still unclear the exact treatment capacity Doncic underwent and how it has affected him. 

Earlier this week, it was reported Doncic would leave Europe to rejoin the Lakers sometime this week. As the L.A. Times notes, “Doncic was supposed to be back by Friday.” There has been no update on where Doncic currently is and why he hasn’t returned to the team. The hope was Doncic would be present on the Lakers’ bench for tonight’s Game 1 in Los Angeles. 

This could signal a concern, or Doncic may have pushed his rejoin date. As of now, there is no new development on the Lakers star’s status and how close he is to playing again.

L.A. Hopes for Other Injured Star to Heal Quick

While it is largely uncommon for a playoff team to enter the tournament without its top two highest scorers, the Lakers are keeping hopes high. 

While Doncic has been away, Reaves has stuck with the team and is reportedly working diligently to make a faster return to action. 

“We love having Austin here and we’re glad he is in a position to do his return-to-play [work], however long it takes with us,” said head coach JJ Redick. “Excited to get Luka back and be around the group. Austin and I talk just about every day about different things. So he’s … just being a part of this.”

Earlier this week, Redick announced after Lakers practice that Doncic and Reaves are still sidelined indefinitely. After Friday’s practice, he stated there is still no new update on both stars. 

Los Angeles is fully preparing to play multiple playoff games without their two best players. While there is at least hope one of the two can play sometime in the first round, nothing is guaranteed at this time.

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