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Dončić Returns to L.A. After Spain Treatment as Lakers Keep Backcourt Out Indefinitely

Medical uncertainty keeps return dates unresolved.

Overview

  • Luka Dončić, who strained his left hamstring on April 2, returned to Los Angeles on Tuesday after platelet‑rich plasma and stem‑cell injections in Spain.
  • Head coach JJ Redick said Tuesday that Dončić and Austin Reaves are out indefinitely and that no update is expected before Saturday’s Game 1 against the Rockets.
  • Earlier Tuesday, a Spanish report suggested Dončić’s injury had worsened, then the item was deleted after his camp said the original diagnosis and timeline still stand.
  • Florida sports physician Jesse Morse warned Dončić likely needs at least 10 more days and may be closer to 80% of his normal level if he tries to play in the first round.
  • Austin Reaves, who has a Grade 2 oblique strain, is expected to miss most of the first round with the earliest return in early May, increasing LeBron James’s playmaking load against Houston’s top‑10 defense.