The Los Angeles Lakers have gotten by just fine without their two leading scorers.
Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves have missed the past month of action, yet the Lakers are on the verge of taking down the Houston Rockets in the first round of the playoffs.
That might not be the case with the Oklahoma City Thunder, though. And even though the Lakers got Reaves back for Game 5, which they lost, Doncic’s availability is still up in the air.
According to ClutchPoints insider Brett Siegel, the Slovenian superstar is expected to miss most — if not all — of the second-round matchup.
Luka Doncic may miss most of the second round
“Although it is early, sources close to the situation said the earliest Doncic would possibly return in a series against the Thunder would be when play shifts to Los Angeles for Games 3 and 4,” Siegel wrote. “But there is no guarantee Doncic would be available for either game, as his status over the next two weeks will be dependent on how his body heals and responds to treatment.”
Doncic will enter the fifth week of his recovery from a Grade 2 hamstring strain. He traveled to Europe to get treatment, but there’s no way to speed things up.
Per Siegel, the Lakers will only know more about his potential return date once they evaluate his progress over the next ten days.
Then again, with JJ Redick’s team up 3-2 in their series with the Rockets and Kevin Durant missing Game 5, it’s hard to believe that series will go on for much longer.
The defending champions will be well-rested after sweeping the Phoenix Suns in the first round, and even though the Lakers have been impressively good without Reaves and Doncic, beating Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s team without their leader and best player will be an uphill battle.
