Lakers Get Austin Reaves, Luka Doncic Updates Before Game 5
The Los Angeles Lakers had a golden opportunity to sweep the Houston Rockets, but Houston pulled out a 115-96 win in Game 4 on Sunday without Kevin Durant.
LeBron James had just 10 points and nine assists, and Deandre Ayton had 19 points with 10 rebounds before being ejected from the game.
That means the series goes on for at least another day, and Game 6 will be in Los Angeles on Wednesday night as LA has a chance to close it out at home.
On Monday, ESPN's Shams Charania gave another update on the status of Austin Reaves and Luka Doncic, who have yet to play this postseason due to injuries.
Charania reported that Reaves could play in Game 5, but added that Doncic "will not be returning in this series."
"Austin Reaves could play on Wednesday in game five..
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) April 27, 2026
Luka Doncic will not be returning in this series"@ShamsCharania#PMSLivehttps://t.co/X8iUDTE1mGpic.twitter.com/WuXBP9Zf7p
Initially, it seemed unlikely that either Reaves or Doncic would be able to play in the opening round, and the Lakers faced a tough task.
But, they then won the first three games, with Luke Kennard and Marcus Smart stepping up for the Lakers.
In four games so far, James leads the Lakers with 21.5 PPG, but Kennard (17.8), Smart (17.5) and Rui Hachimura (15.5) have all played well.
Can the Lakers Survive Without Doncic and Reaves?
On one hand, the Lakers have played relatively well without Doncic and Reaves, except for Game 4.
The 18-point third quarter ultimately changed the course of the game for LA, and the ejection of Ayton certainly didn't help.
In Game 3, James had 29 points with 13 rebounds, Hachimura had 22 points, Smart added 21 with 10 assists and Kennard had 12 points with six assists.
So, that is the recipe for how to win without Reaves and Doncic.
Even if Reaves returns for Game 5, it remains to be seen how many minutes he can play and how much he can contribute due to the lengthy absence, but the Lakers just need one win in order to advance to the next round.
If they can win Game 5, they can earn a couple of days off and hope Reaves and Doncic ca be ready for the next series.
Related: Lakers' Luka Doncic Receives Strong MVP Take From JJ Redick
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This story was originally published April 27, 2026 at 2:36 PM.