Kevin Durant
April 2026
Kevin Durant missed Houston’s playoff opener against the Lakers because of a bruised right knee suffered in practice. The Rockets still believe it may only cost him one game. Udoka said Durant tested the knee but did not feel well enough to play because of pain and restricted movement. Scans found no structural damage, and Houston remain hopeful he can return quickly as the series continues.
Bronny James, LeBron James
April 2026
Bronny James made his playoff debut alongside LeBron James, with the pair becoming the first father-son duo to play together in NBA postseason history. That added another milestone to a season that had already seen them become the first father-son pairing to share the floor in an NBA game. Bronny entered at the start of the second quarter and played a short stretch next to his father. Reuters previously confirmed the regular-season milestone, and this playoff appearance extends that unique family record into the postseason.
Kevin Durant
April 2026
Kevin Durant missed Game 1 of Houston’s playoff series against the Lakers with a right knee injury suffered in practice. The Rockets do not believe it is a long-term problem, but they had to begin the series without their leading scorer. Ime Udoka said Durant tested the knee but could not move comfortably enough to play. Houston hopes the issue is only worth one game, and Reed Sheppard stepped into the lineup while the Lakers also continue without Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves.
Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves
April 2026
Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves will not be back in time for the start of the Lakers’ playoff series against Houston, leaving Los Angeles without its two top scorers for Game 1. JJ Redick said both are out indefinitely, with Doncic still recovering from a hamstring strain and Reaves dealing with an oblique injury. Their absences leave LeBron James carrying more of the offensive load as the Lakers open the series against the Rockets.
Austin Reaves
April 2026
Austin Reaves will miss the rest of the regular season after the Lakers confirmed a Grade 2 oblique muscle injury. His absence, combined with Luka Doncic’s hamstring problem, leaves Los Angeles shorthanded for the final five games of the regular season. Reaves was injured in the Oklahoma City loss, underwent an MRI, and was later ruled out for the regular season. The Lakers now need to protect their playoff position without one of their main scorers and creators, while the team evaluates longer-term postseason availability.
Luka Doncic
April 2026
Luka Doncic will miss the rest of the regular season after the Lakers confirmed a Grade 2 strain in his left hamstring. The injury arrives at a brutal time for Los Angeles and leaves Doncic one game short of the standard 65-game awards threshold. The strain was revealed after an MRI following his injury in the blowout loss to Oklahoma City. Associated Press reported the Lakers have only five regular-season games left, making a return before the playoffs unrealistic, while Doncic’s camp plans to challenge the award-eligibility issue through the league’s extraordinary circumstances process.
Luka Doncic
April 2026
Luka Doncic injured his left hamstring in the Lakers’ blowout loss to Oklahoma City and is set for an MRI. The injury came during another poor night for Los Angeles, which also saw Austin Reaves dealing with a back issue as the team’s four-game winning streak ended. JJ Redick said Doncic first felt the issue in the first half, received treatment at halftime, then returned before aggravating it in the third quarter. Reuters reported he left with 12 points in a 139-96 defeat, while Reaves played through pain before sitting the fourth.
Luka Doncic
March 2026
Luka Doncic has been suspended for one game without pay after receiving his 16th technical foul of the regular season. The punishment means he will miss the Lakers’ game against the Washington Wizards under the NBA’s automatic suspension rules. The latest technical was assessed in the Brooklyn game and, unlike an earlier foul that had been rescinded, this one stood after league review. Once the 16-foul threshold is reached, the NBA applies an automatic one-game suspension, with further bans triggered after every two additional technicals.
LeBron James, Bronny James
March 2026
LeBron James and Bronny James became the first father-son pair to combine for an assist in NBA history during the Lakers’ game against Brooklyn. The moment added another unique milestone to LeBron’s career while marking a rare on-court family moment in league history. The play came when LeBron passed to Bronny for a three-pointer in the second quarter after both checked in together. The sequence followed increased rotation minutes for Bronny and extended a historic partnership that already made them the first father and son to play together in the NBA.
Luka Doncic
March 2026
Luka Doncic is eligible to play against Detroit after the NBA rescinded what would have been his 16th technical foul of the season. The reversal removed the automatic one-game suspension that would have been triggered by reaching that mark. Doncic and Goga Bitadze had both received technicals during the Lakers’ win over Orlando after exchanging words, but the league later overturned both calls. The decision keeps Doncic available for a Lakers team carrying a long winning streak into a key matchup with the Pistons.
