Luka Doncic will return to the team this Saturday! Multiple injection treatments accelerate recovery, Reaves expected to return in early May.

On April 14 Beijing time, according to renowned reporter Shams, Doncic received multiple injection treatments in Spain for a grade 2 left hamstring strain. After a week of rest, he will return to Los Angeles this Saturday (Beijing time, same below). He may not be able to play in the NBA playoff first round starting this weekend, but he will still travel with the team.

The Western Conference fourth-seed Lakers will host their first playoff game on Sunday against the fifth-seed Houston Rockets. After Doncic's injury on April 3 against the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Lakers only announced he would miss the remaining regular season games without providing a specific return timetable. Grade 2 hamstring strains typically require about a month of recovery.

Without Doncic and also Reaves, who suffered a grade 2 left oblique strain in the same Thunder game with an uncertain return date, the Lakers finished the regular season with a 3-2 record.

James was named the Western Conference Player of the Week for the final week of the regular season, averaging 24.0 points, 9.7 assists, and 6.0 rebounds, leading the team to victories without two other key players.

Shams said on the program: "During the past week in Spain, Doncic spent most of his time receiving treatment for his hamstring injury and also underwent multiple injection treatments, hoping to promote recovery and expedite his return process. He suffered a grade 2 hamstring strain. On the other side, Reaves has a grade 2 oblique strain. In early April, his estimated recovery time was 4 to 6 weeks, meaning he could return at least in the first week of May. So both players are expected to be indefinitely unavailable entering the playoffs, though exactly when they can return—clearly both are doing everything possible to return as soon as possible."

Doncic led the league this season with an average of 33.5 points per game, while also averaging 8.3 assists and 7.7 rebounds. He played 64 games this season, failing to meet the 65-game threshold required for regular season individual award eligibility. His agent Duffy from WME has applied to the NBA for a "special circumstances" exemption, as Doncic missed two games in December to return to Slovenia for the birth of his daughter.