Lakers Fans Push Back On Game 3 Return Buzz For Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves

Going into the first round of the 2026 NBA playoffs, the Los Angeles Lakers are extremely shorthanded with injuries to Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves.

Officially, the team has not set a return date for either star, but there are lingering hopes that one or both may be available at some point in the playoffs. Recently, there was even a rumor that they might both be ready by Game 3 of the series, sparking some initial excitement among the fans.

“Sources: Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves are both targeting Game 3 for their return,” reported Mike Ortiz Jr. “If the Lakers steal game one or game two, their timeline would get pushed back to game 4. What I was told is they will not sit past a 2-0 deficit.”

Neither Reaves (27) nor Doncic (27) has played since a blowout loss to the Thunder on April 7. For Luka, it’s a Grade 2 left hamstring strain that’s keeping him out, and he recently travelled to Spain to seek additional treatment and advice on his recovery. Reports claim that he was looking for ways to expedite his return, but came up empty after the latest tests revealed bad news.

The situation with Reaves is arguably even more precarious. He’s been diagnosed with a Grade 2 left oblique strain, a setback which usual requires 4-6 weeks of recovery. So far, there’s been nothing to hint at a premature return for either player, and it casts doubt on this report that they’ll be ready by Game 3, which is roughly a week away.

“There’s no way to know this soon what game it’ll be, considering each game is two days apart,” one fan wrote. “Bearing in mind Luka hasn’t even been assessed yet.”

Of course, even if Luka and Doncic do return for Game 3, with the Lakers down 0-2, it would probably still be too late to swing the series in their favor.

“Rockets round 1 is tough. If the Lakers get down 2 games, it’s probably already too late,” wrote another fan.

It’s possible that the Lakers could be playing some kind of trick to avoid giving the Rockets any hints of their status, but JJ Redick has already made it clear that both players are out indefinitely. Plus, they’ve already been practicing as if the duo won’t be available in the series.

“Stop with the cap,” wrote one angry fan. “JJ Reddick already informed us they are out indefinitely. Soft tissue injuries you cannot rush, no matter what type of medicine you’re on.”

Ultimately, fans just aren’t buying this optimistic health update. Injuries don’t just heal overnight, and the Lakers risking everything for a Game 3 on the road just doesn’t seem worthwhile.

“Removing what ‘sources’ told you; explain how this makes sense,” wrote one fan in protest. “Will rush back two soft tissue injuries if 0-2 down in a spot where they essentially have to win G3 on the road and would need both players playing to 85% of capacity. Sure….”

At this point, it’s hard for most fans to see anything but a Rockets sweep in this series, and they had no problems making that opinion known.

“Zero chance this happens,” said a fan on Reaves/Doncic. “Rockets gonna sweep!”

It’s still possible that Reaves and Doncic may be closer to returning than is being reported. Nothing is compelling JJ Redick to reveal their status this far in advance, and being this secretive with the recovery keeps the Rockets on their toes. While they know that Luka and Reaves will not be there for the first two games, they can’t be sure of anything after that.

Either way, in a season with so much at stake, the Lakers are not willing to just give up and concede defeat. With LeBron James leading the way, they have a chance to pull off a miracle, but they aren’t looking for that. For now, their goal is just to survive long enough to give their stars a chance to return, whether that’s in Game 3 of this series (unlikely) or in the second round, where the odds will be even further stacked against them.