Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Dončić is set to return from Spain on Friday after receiving treatment for a hamstring injury. The team opens its first-round playoff series against the Houston Rockets on Saturday. Coach JJ Redick said Dončić and Austin Reaves remain out indefinitely.
Luka Dončić suffered a Grade 2 hamstring strain on April 2 during a game against the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Lakers ruled him out for the rest of the regular season the following day. Seeking to accelerate his recovery, Dončić traveled to Spain for specialized treatment, according to ESPN. He is expected back in Los Angeles on Friday, just before Game 1 of the Western Conference first-round series against the No. 5-seeded Houston Rockets, for which the No. 4-seeded Lakers hold home-court advantage. Game 1 comes 16 days after the injury, though a typical Grade 2 strain requires a month or more of recovery time. It remains uncertain whether Dončić will play again this postseason, especially as coach JJ Redick noted the challenge of extending the Lakers' run deep into the playoffs. Reaves, sidelined by a Grade 2 oblique strain from the same night, is also unavailable. Redick told reporters on Tuesday, per ESPN: 'I mean, look, they're out indefinitely. I'm not going to have an update for you this week. They're out indefinitely.' With both stars sidelined, 41-year-old LeBron James faces an increased playmaking burden against a Rockets team that won nine of its final 10 regular-season games. James earned Western Conference Player of the Week honors in the season's last week.
