NBA Playoffs: LeBron James Puts the Lakers Ahead Despite Durant’s Return
Apr 22, 2026
Nicolas Flamecourt
Just Days Away from the Returns of Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves with the Lakers?
Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves are making progress in their rehabilitation. Guard Austin Reaves has begun his return-to-play protocol while Dončić remains out indefinitely.
Apr 21, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) and guard Austin Reaves (15) look on from the bench in the first half of game two of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs against the Houston Rockets at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
Photo Credit : © Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
JJ Redick shared encouraging news about his two injured guards, Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves ahead of Game 2 of the series against the Rockets.
Austin Reaves Closer to a Comeback Than Dončić
While no precise return timeline has been announced for either player, Austin Reaves has begun his protocol, which includes individual on-court work. Dončić, for his part, is expected to start his « soon, » according to Redick, who emphasized that no timeline has been set for either player.
According to information from ESPN revealed on NBA Today, both Dončić and Reaves began practicing with the Lakers on Monday, April 20. « The feeling around the Lakers is that Austin Reaves is actually further along than Luka Dončić in their respective rehabilitation processes, » said Shams Charania on the show.
Charania added that Reaves had been given a four-to-six-week timetable in early April, which theoretically puts him on track for a return later in the series, potentially at the start of the next round. The guard has begun individual on-court work and is expected to progress to three-on-three and then five-on-five before returning to game action.
A Less Optimistic Outlook for Dončić
Dončić, on the other hand, is not expected to return in the first round according to the latest reports. ESPN reported Tuesday that Reaves has a chance to return later in the series, while Dončić remains out indefinitely.
Neither player has played since April 2 due to a grade 2 left hamstring strain for Dončić and a grade 2 left oblique strain for Reaves. Dončić traveled to Spain during the final week of the regular season to undergo an injection procedure in hopes of speeding up his hamstring recovery, while Reaves stayed in Los Angeles for his rehabilitation.
When asked what a return-to-play progression would look like for Reaves, Redick replied: « That’s above my pay grade. » Games 3 and 4 in Houston are scheduled for Friday and Sunday respectively.
Updates on Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, per @ShamsCharania:
– Lakers not expecting Doncic to return in Round 1
– Reaves further along than Doncic in rehab process
– Reaves has started 1-on-1 on-court work; needs to go through 3-on-3 and 5-on-5
– Reaves tracking to return late…— Underdog NBA (@UnderdogNBA) April 21, 2026
With a background in sports management, Nicolas Flamecourt covers NBA news with a particular passion for the North American league, which he has been following for several years. He also covers the NCAA, including news and scouting of future prospects, and regularly conducts interviews with French players as well as players competing in Europe.
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