The Los Angeles Lakers announced on Apr. 17 that Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves will not play in Game 1 of their first round playoff series against the Houston Rockets due to injuries, while the rest of the roster is available.
Doncic is out with a left hamstring strain and Reaves with a left oblique muscle strain. The absence of these two players, who are the Lakers’ leading scorers and the highest scoring duo in the NBA, means that the team will need to adjust its game plan as it enters the postseason as underdogs despite having home-court advantage.
The Houston Rockets have listed Kevin Durant as questionable for Game 1 because of a right knee contusion. The availability of other key Lakers players, including Marcus Smart—who recently returned from a right ankle contusion—and backup center Jaxson Hayes—who missed four games with a left foot injury—is expected to help strengthen the team’s defense and rebounding efforts.
Head coach JJ Redick faces decisions about how best to use his lineups and rotations against a physical Rockets team known for strong defense and controlling play in the paint. The performance of role players such as Smart, Luke Kennard, Deandre Ayton, and Rui Hachimura may be crucial for Los Angeles’ chances in this series.
Despite most experts predicting that Los Angeles will lose without Doncic and Reaves, Kennard said that “this team believes they can beat the Rockets with who they have to start the series.” The Lakers hope that at some point during this matchup they will see Doncic or Reaves return to action.
