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Austin Reaves defending Luka Doncic after injury
The Los Angeles Lakers are holding onto the third seed in the Western Conference with five games remaining. LeBron James is healthy. The playoff picture is still intact.
Everything else is falling apart.
One day after learning Luka Doncic would miss the rest of the regular season with a Grade 2 hamstring strain, the Lakers received more damaging news. Austin Reaves is out for the remainder of the regular season as well. And the way it was confirmed made Saturday’s update even harder to stomach.
Redick Drops Blunt Quote on MRI Situation
GettyLos Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick.
Reaves suffered the injury during Thursday’s blowout loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder, reaching back to tap a loose ball before immediately grabbing his left side in pain. He played through the discomfort, returned after a brief locker room visit, and was eventually pulled in the third quarter after Doncic went down with his hamstring injury in the same game.
The diagnosis came Saturday. A Grade 2 left oblique muscle injury, per ESPN’s Shams Charania. Out for the rest of the regular season. Expected to miss four to six weeks.
What made the situation worse was how the process unfolded. According to coach JJ Redick, Dallas imaging performed the first MRI scan on the wrong area entirely, forcing a second scan to be conducted.
“They scanned the wrong area,” Redick told reporters, via Khobi Price. “Not on our end. We made it explicit what was supposed to be scanned but they scanned the wrong area.”
It was a blunt assessment from a coach already navigating a crisis. The Lakers now head into the final stretch of the regular season and the opening round of the playoffs without their two leading scorers.
What the Lakers Are Losing
GettyAustin Reaves #15 of the Los Angeles Lakers celebrates with Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers.
The numbers tell the story of what is missing. Reaves has averaged 23.3 points, 5.5 assists, and 4.7 rebounds across 51 games this season, already having missed more than a month with a calf injury earlier in the year. Doncic, before his hamstring gave out, was averaging 33.5 points, 8.3 assists, and 7.7 rebounds.
Combined, that is nearly 57 points and 14 assists per game no longer available to a team that built its identity around that duo alongside James.
The Lakers went 15-2 in March with the Big Three intact, cementing their grip on the third seed. That version of this team was genuinely dangerous. What remains heading into the postseason is a different equation entirely.
LeBron and the Path Forward
GettyLeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers.
James, at 41 years old and in his 23rd NBA season, is now the last healthy member of the Lakers’ core. His response on Saturday was measured and direct.
“You got to flip the mindset a little bit,” James said. “I think it’s up to all of us, whoever is in the lineup, to pick up our play.”
Redick echoed that sentiment. He pointed to Luke Kennard, Rui Hachimura, and Deandre Ayton as pieces the Lakers can lean on while waiting for Doncic and Reaves to work through their recoveries. The mission, in his words, has not changed.
“We want to go get the 3 seed and we want to win a first-round series,” Redick said. “And I know Luka’s gonna do everything he can to get back on the court.”
The four to six week timetable on both injuries leaves real hope that Doncic and Reaves could return at some point in the playoffs. That window is tight. A first-round series could be decided before either player is cleared.
Final Word for the Lakers
Two stars. Two Grade 2 injuries. One brutal week.
James has been here before. He has carried teams through impossible stretches and found ways to win when the odds pointed the other direction. This is a different ask at 41.
The Lakers are still in the race for the third seed. The real test comes after that.
Keith Watkins Keith Watkins is a sports journalist covering the NBA for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Golden State Warriors, Boston Celtics, and Los Angeles Lakers. He previously wrote for FanSided, NBA Analysis Network, and Last Word On Sports. Keith is based in Bangkok, Thailand. More about Keith Watkins
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