Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves ‘out indefinitely' as Lakers enter playoffs

NBC Los Angeles reports that Lakers stars Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves will miss the start of the team's first-round playoff series against the Houston Rockets due to injuries sustained on April 2—Doncic with a Grade 2 hamstring strain and Reaves with an oblique strain—with coach JJ Redick offering no timeline for their return beyond "indefinitely." The reporting is sourced from direct quotes from Redick and players, plus an anonymous AP source confirming Doncic's travel to Spain for treatment, with specific details on the players' injury history and their combined offensive impact (56.8 points per game). Multiple outlets including ESPN, AP, USA Today, and Yahoo Sports corroborate the core facts of both players being out indefinitely for the playoffs, with ESPN adding specificity that Doncic received multiple injections in Spain for a Grade 2 strain, though some sources suggest Reaves may miss the entire first-round series while Doncic's status remains more fluid. Watch for Doncic's return to Los Angeles on Friday and any updates before Game 1 on Saturday, as well as how the Lakers' supporting cast—particularly Marcus Smart and Luke Kennard—perform in their absence.