Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves have been ruled out for Tuesday’s Game 2 between the Rockets and Lakers, tipping off at 10:30 p.m. ET.
Both players have been out indefinitely, but Tuesday brought injury news from ESPN’s Shams Charania. Doncic is still out indefinitely, but Reaves could potentially return late in the first-round series vs. the Rockets or early in the conference semifinals if Los Angeles advances.
Below, we'll break down the Luka Doncic injury update and how soon Austin Reaves could return from injury. Will either player return in the NBA Playoffs, impacting player projections on PrizePicks?
Make your NBA Playoff picks on PrizePicks — including ones on Rockets vs. Lakers and other Tuesday games.
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Luka Doncic Injury Update: Will Doncic Play in the NBA Playoffs vs. Rockets?
Most of this news stems from Doncic and Reaves appearing at the Lakers’ practice on Monday, April 20.
While it was a positive sight, Luka still has no timetable for a return. Before the playoffs, Doncic was in Spain receiving specialized treatment for his hamstring strain. Luka returning to the team is the first checkmark.
The NBA injury report has Doncic as officially out with a hamstring strain for Game 2. This marks his seventh consecutive absence, as Luka suffered the injury on April 2.
Los Angeles is 4-2 since Doncic’s injury, but we shouldn’t overlook his 33.5 points per game (PPG) and 8.3 assists per game (APG) missing from the Laker rotation.
Austin Reaves Injury Update: Will Reaves Play in the NBA Playoffs vs. Rockets?
Tuesday brought much more positive news for Doncic’s backcourt running mate, Reaves. He’s also on track to miss his seventh straight game from an oblique strain tonight.
As reported by Shams Charania, the initial diagnosis for Reaves was four to six weeks. He’s been out since April 5, meaning that four-week mark will be on May 3. If necessary, Game 7 of the Rockets vs. Lakers is scheduled for May 3 in Los Angeles.
L.A. is off to a good start to extend this series, winning Game 1 107-98 vs. Houston. Rockets F Kevin Durant sitting out with a knee injury helped the Lakers’ cause, and KD is currently questionable for Game 2 on Tuesday night.
The longer Los Angeles stays alive in the postseason, the more likely Reaves will make a return. He finished the regular season with a career-high 23.3 PPG while shooting 49.0% from the field and 36.0% on 3-pointers
What Players to Target on PrizePicks with Doncic and Reaves Out?
For Game 2, the Lakers will still be without their top two scorers. In Game 1, starters saw elevated minutes across the board.
Lakers F LeBron James (33.2 minutes per game) posted 38 minutes, C Deandre Ayton (27.2 minutes per game) recorded 35 minutes, and F Rui Hachimura (28.3 minutes per game) logged 42 minutes.
Los Angeles G Marcus Smart (28.5 minutes per game) and G Luke Kennard (23.0 minutes per game) were each inserted into the starting lineup, racking up 34 and 38 minutes.
Kennard saw the biggest scoring increase, leading the Lakers with 27 points by converting 9 of 13 field goal attempts and 5 of 5 3-point shots. After Kennard logged only 9.0 PPG in the regular season, L.A. may need his red-hot shooting to keep up as 4.5-point underdogs vs. Houston on Tuesday, per PrizePicks Team Picks.
When Doncic and Reaves are off the court, LeBron (+8.5%), Kennard (+5.9%), and Smart (+4.8%) see the largest increases in usage rate, per FantasyLabs. Additionally, James (+10.1) and Kennard (+10.8) see significant increases in their fantasy scores with Doncic and Reaves out.
Here are the Lakers players who may benefit most on PrizePicks with Doncic and Reaves still out — and their stat projections for Tuesday.
- F LeBron James — 25 Points / 41.5 Pts+Rebs+Asts / 50 Fantasy Score
- G Luke Kennard — 13.5 Points / 21.5 Pts+Rebs+Asts / 5.5 3-pointers Attempted
- G Marcus Smart — 12 Points / 20.5 Pts+Rebs+Asts / 26.5 Fantasy Score
LeBron stuffed the stat sheet with 19 points, 8 rebounds, and 13 assists in Game 1. He was efficient by converting 9 of 15 field goal attempts. James usually picks his spots to take over in the postseason, especially at 41 years young.
Grabbing a 2-0 series lead with Reaves potentially returning late in the series would be a game changer. Will LeBron give it his all with increased usage on Tuesday night?
Pick More or Less Lakers player stats on PrizePicks now before 10:30 p.m. ET tip.
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Make Rockets vs. Lakers Picks on PrizePicks
Doncic and Reaves are still out for Game 2 of the Rockets vs. Lakers, but Reaves is making progress toward a return. Los Angeles will look to further extend its series vs. the Rockets on Tuesday night, likely needing increased production from LeBron and Kennard.
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