The Los Angeles Lakers will be without Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves for the rest of the regular season and likely part of the playoffs, after both players suffered significant injuries on April 7. Doncic sustained a Grade 2 left hamstring strain, while Reaves experienced a Grade 2 left oblique muscle strain during a game against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The absence of these key players comes at a crucial time with the NBA Playoffs approaching in just one week. The team has not announced specific timelines for their return, but both are expected to miss important postseason games.
Lakers legend Magic Johnson commented on social media about the situation. “I’m devastated about Luka Doncic’s injury because he was having an MVP season and he should definitely be first-team all NBA!” Johnson said. He also addressed Reaves’ injury: “Just when I thought Luka’s injury was devastating for my Lakers we got the news that Austin Reaves will also be out with an oblique injury. The timing of these injuries couldn’t be worse with the NBA Playoffs a week away.”
Doncic’s eligibility for league awards remains uncertain, as he played only 64 regular season games due to missing two games in December for personal reasons; he plans to appeal those absences. Meanwhile, Reaves averaged strong numbers—23.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 5.5 assists per game—but appeared in only 51 contests this year due to multiple injuries.
Some observers questioned why both stars were playing late in a blowout loss when they suffered their injuries, given that each had already shown signs of discomfort earlier in the game. Head coach JJ Redick said both were medically cleared by team staff before returning to play.
With two leading contributors sidelined, fans and analysts alike are concerned about how far the Lakers can advance this postseason.