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Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick reacts after his team is called for a foul.
Both Luka Doncic (hamstring) and Austin Reaves (oblique) are reportedly determined to return from their injuries during the upcoming NBA playoffs, but the Los Angeles Lakers are bracing for the worst possible outcome.
Per ESPN’s Tim MacMahon, the Lakers don’t expect Reaves or Doncic back until the second round of the playoffs, which will likely start in the first week of May.
“Talking to folks [within] the Lakers [organization] last night, they kinda had the mindset of they need to extend the season to the second round of the playoffs for a chance for those guys to come back,” MacMahon told ESPN’s “Get Up” on Monday.
Luka Doncic Injury Update
Doncic, diagnosed with a grade 2 hamstring strain, is expected to miss three to six weeks of action, but the Slovenian is reportedly determined to return for the playoffs. According to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin and Shams Charania, Doncic has traveled to Europe to seek specialized medical treatment in an effort to “expedite his return to play” with hopes of rejoining his teammates at the earliest.
Some sports doctors have speculated that Doncic has likely opted for cell-based therapies, which are popular in Europe, to accelerate his rehab process. Stem cell expert Dr. Jesse Morse, M,D, laid out Doncic’s possible treatment and rehab plan.
“He’s likely getting a combination of MSC’s, placental tissue, exosomes, as well as other treatments not legal here in the United States,” Morse wrote on X.
“Remind me of what Kobe did many years ago. They will be injected under ultrasound guidance directly into each area of weakness in his hamstring.”
Lakers Poised for Early Exit
With Reaves and Doncic sidelined indefinitely, analysts and oddsmakers expect the Lakers to face a first-round exit in the playoffs.
“The loss to the rebuilding Mavericks all but confirmed the Lakers’ fate after injuries to Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves,” LakeShow Life’s Tyler Watts wrote after the Lakers suffered a 134-128 loss to the Mavs on Sunday.
“…Los Angeles Lakers fans have to realize the team’s hopes are dead. They can’t survive without Luka and AR. Instead, it will be a first-round playoff exit that puts a ton of pressure on this offseason. The Lakers must re-sign Reaves and build a title-contending roster around Doncic. That will be easier said than done, so stay tuned in to see how it all shakes out after the heartbreak clears.”
The Lakers’ first-round playoff series is slated to begin on April 18 or 19.
Sai Mohan covers the NBA for Heavy.com. Based in Portugal, Sai is a seasoned sports writer with nearly two decades of publishing experience, including bylines at Yardbarker, FanSided’s Hoops Habit, International Business Times, Hindustan Times and more. More about Sai Mohan
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