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Los Angeles Lakers star guards Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves received a massive injury update ahead of Game 2 of their first-round series against the Houston Rockets.
NBA insider Shams Charania appeared on ESPN's NBA Today on Tuesday and said Reaves is closer to returning to the court compared to Doncic.
"The sense around the Lakers is that Austin Reaves is the one further along than Luka Doncic in their respective rehab processes," Charania said. "I am told Austin Reaves started one-on-one on court work. The next step for him is to continue to go through the progressions of three-on-three, five-on-five. Early April, he had a four to six week timetable, theoretically that puts him on track late in this series, potentially early in the next series."
In the meantime, Doncic is still a ways away from returning to the hardwood.
"The Lakers are not expecting Luka Doncic to be back in this series," Charania continued. "He is out indefinitely, but Austin Reaves is making some progress on the court."
Doncic and Reaves have been out since April 2 due to their respective injuries. Doncic is dealing with a Grade 2 hamstring strain, while Reaves is dealing with a left oblique muscle strain.
The two star guards missed Game 1 of the series, and there is a chance they both miss the entire first round.
Doncic traveled to Spain earlier in the month for specialized medical treatment on his hamstring. The six-time All-Star is pulling all the stops to ensure he is back on the court as quickly as possible.
Reaves reportedly also went to Spain with Doncic. It was reported that Reaves was set to have a longer -term recovery; however, that doesn't appear to be the case anymore.
Lakers Look to Take Commanding 2-0 Series Lead Over Rockets
The Lakers will take on the Rockets for Game 2 of their series on Tuesday. They'll look to take a commanding 2-0 lead before heading to Houston for Games 3 and 4.
Los Angeles is once again a home underdog at +5.5.
Tip-off is set for 7:30 pm PT.
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