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LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – APRIL 10: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers looks on during the first half of a game against the Phoenix Suns at Crypto.com Arena on April 10, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
The Los Angeles Lakers are playing the Houston Rockets in the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs in a series that, for the time being, will not feature either Luka Doncic or Austin Reaves.
It remains to be determined if Doncic or Reaves will be able to return from their respective injuries for the Lakers’ playoff series against the Rockets, so while the team waits for new updates on both, they go forward without their top two scorers.
Before Game 1 of the series, Los Angeles made a few key announcements.
Lakers Announce Starting Lineup Vs Rockets
GettyLeBron James reacts during a Lakers surge as the team shows renewed life ahead of its series vs the Rockets.
In the lead-up to the Lakers vs Rockets game, the team from Southern California took to social media to confirm their starting lineup for Saturday night.
Marcus Smart, Luke Kennard, Rui Hachimura, LeBron James, and Deandre Ayton all got the nod as starters from head coach JJ Redick and his staff.
This is one of the few lineups the Lakers have been using in the few games they’ve played without Doncic and Reaves, two stars who highlight the starting group.
But for now, until either returns from injury, players like Kennard, Smart, Hachimura, Jake LaRavia, and James all have increased scoring roles and responsibility while the Lakers find a way to replace the nearly 60 points per game they are missing with the two backcourt stars out.
Lakers Injury Report
GettyLuka Dončić sits on the bench alongside teammates as the Los Angeles Lakers deal with injuries to key players ahead of the playoffs.
Doncic and Reaves are the only two players on the Lakers’ injury report for Game 1 against the Rockets.
There were concerns about backup center Jaxson Hayes still dealing with a foot injury, as he missed the last few games of the regular season, but he has been cleared for the game on Saturday.
Additionally, James and Smart had been dealing with foot and ankle injuries, respectively, over the past few weeks, each sitting at a few points in the final stretch of the regular season. However, neither of those two nor Hayes is listed on the Lakers’ injury report, as it’s just Doncic and Reaves who will be out.
There remains hope that one or both of the two stars can come back at some point in the series. However, they won’t be re-evaluated until sometime next week, so until then, any news about a potential return for Doncic or Reaves remains speculation.
In what is an intriguing update for Los Angeles is that Kevin Durant is set to miss Game 1 for Houston. He was originally listed as questionable, but has since been ruled out with a knee injury.
Head coach Ime Udoka said he hopes it is just a one-game issue, but for as long as he’s out, it only gives the Lakers a better chance at extending the series and potentially getting either Doncic or Reaves back from their current injuries.
Game 1 of the Lakers vs Rockets series tips off on Saturday, April 18, at 5:30 pm PST and is live on ABC.
Eli Gregorski is a sports journalist covering the NBA for Heavy Sports. He has years of sports writing experience covering the NBA, NFL, college football and basketball, international soccer, and Formula One. He graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder, where he was the assistant sports editor for the award-winning CU Independent student publication. More about Eli Gregorski
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