EL SEGUNDO, Calif. – The Lakers’ two most important players bore smiles on their faces even amid their internal frustration.

Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves remain sidelined for Game 2 of the Lakers’ first-round series against the Houston Rockets on Tuesday, a series the Lakers lead 1-0. But they at least joined the team during portions of Monday’s practice.

“It’s been really nice,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said. “He definitely rebounded and passed on some shooting drills.”

Dončić and Reaves have supported teammates behind the scenes

The Lakers haven’t given any indication when Dončić (Grade 2 left hamstring strain) and Reaves (Grade 2 left oblique strain) will return. A Grade 2 strain typically involves a partial muscle tear and can sideline players for multiple weeks, putting their availability for this series in serious doubt. But after receiving unspecified treatment in Spain last week, Dončić returned in time for Sunday’s game.

Then, Dončić and Reaves sat on the bench and stayed engaged with teammates.

“People don’t know how much impact Luka has not only on the court, but off the court,” Lakers forward Rui Hachimura said. “He is a guy that always wants to be around with us. We love him just hanging out and talking. So we’re happy that he’s back finally. He’s doing funny things like always.”

Hachimura said Dončić was “just messing around with the coaches and the players.” During Game 1, Dončić playfully tapped the back of Hachimura’s head, though he said he didn’t notice.

“He always does that stuff,” Hachimura said. “I’m used to it.”

Dončić and Reaves became more serious during other portions of Game 1. They often high-fived teammates during timeouts and gave feedback.

“Them helping out guys on the bench and just watching the game from that view,” Lakers reserve center Jaxson Hayes said. “You can see  different things that you don’t necessarily see when you’re in the game. They’re able to tell guys stuff and help out as much as possible.”

Will Rockets’ Kevin Durant play in Game 2?

 Rockets coach Ime Udoka told reporters that Durant remains a game-time decision for Game 2 after missing Game 1 with a right knee contusion. Durant participated in some of Monday’s practice while wearing a brace and kinesio tape on his right knee.

Regardless of Durant’s availability, the Lakers anticipate the Rockets will play much better in Game 2, highlighting how both teams are navigating key injuries early in the series.

“We know they’ll be the more desperate team in Game 2,” Redick said. “We have to play with the sense of desperation that we had in Game 1.”

The Lakers know they need to address issues from Game 1, particularly their 18 turnovers and the 21-3 gap in offensive rebounds.

Ironically, the Lakers spent part of last week’s practices completing box out drills because the Rockets are what Hayes called “one of the hardest-crashing teams in the league.”

That became a non-issue, though, because the Lakers compensated elsewhere. Luke Kennard (27 points), LeBron James (19), Deandre Ayton (19), Marcus Smart (15) and Hachimura (14) all cracked double figures. The Lakers also held Houston to a 38% clip from the field.

“Within a series, you have to constantly improve,” Redick said. “You have to look for weak points. And you have to identify what your weak points are, and try to counteract that.”

Can Deandre Ayton maintain his strong play?

It didn’t necessarily surprise the Lakers that center Deandre Ayton dominated on offense (19 points, 11 rebounds) and on defense, where he held Alperen Şengün to 6-for-19 shooting.

 “He’s one of the best bigs in the league,” Hayes said of Ayton. “He was the No. 1 pick for a reason.”

There’s also a reason Ayton also joined the Lakers after negotiating a buyout with Portland. Amid inconsistent play in his last season in Phoenix (2022-23) and two years in Portland (2023-25), Ayton joined the Lakers hoping to rebuild his career on a winning team. After becoming a key part of the Suns’ advancing to the 2021 NBA Finals, Ayton proved ready again for postseason play.

 “The ceiling for our team is maximized when he’s playing at a high level,” Redick said of Ayton. “He’s doing it on both ends. We’re going to have to play Şengün different ways. You can’t give great players the same look different times.”

Defense is key

Although he admittedly struggled with playing 42 minutes, Hachimura lived up to the Lakers’ hopes for him as a two-way player.

He scored 19 points while shooting 6-for-10 from the field and 2-for-4 from 3-point range. Hachimura also became the team’s primary defender on Amen Thompson (17 points on 7-for-18 shooting) and Jabari Smith Jr. (16 points on 5-for-14 shooting).

 “We communicate and then we have to focus on those personnel,” Hachimura said. “Everybody kind of helped me. Just throughout the game, we made adjustments.”

Hayes’ passport update

Dončić apparently returned with an update on Hayes’ passport situation.

“We have my Slovenian passport,” Hayes said. “That’s all he’s been telling me.”

Hayes, who was born in Norman, Oklahoma, has said before he wanted to secure a Slovenian passport hoping to play with Dončić on his national team. That program allows one naturalized citizen on its team for international play.

Has he learned the language yet?

“I don’t know a single word,” Hayes said, laughing. “I know a few but I can’t say in front of you.”

Besides Dončić and Reaves, Redick said that everyone else on the team fully practiced on Monday. The Lakers had off on Sunday.

Mark Medina is an NBA insider for EssentiallySports. Follow him on X, Blue Sky, Instagram, Facebook and Threads