With no reinforcements coming and the pressure only growing, LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers must find a way to hold off the Houston Rockets in their playoff series. They snatched the first game away with LeBron James ruling the floor and Luke Kennard’s 27-point heroics. Meanwhile, Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves watched the action unfold from the sidelines. And for Game 2, too, both stars wouldn’t be of any help to the King or to the LA team.

ESPN’s Shams Charania has dropped fresh injury updates:

• Lakers are “not expecting” Doncic to return in Round 1
• Reaves is “further along” than Doncic in the rehab process
• Reaves has started 1-on-1 on-court work; needs to go through 3-on-3 and 5-on-5
• Reaves tracking to return late in Round 1 or early in Round 2 if LA advances

Now, on Monday, they joined Jake LaRavia and Jarred Vanderbilt for a light on-court session, working through non-contact shooting drills, such as free throws, with minimal physical load. Both stars are recovering from the injuries they sustained during the regular season. Luka Doncic (hamstring strain) and Austin Reaves (oblique strain) haven’t played a single game since April 2 and remain out indefinitely.

This means LeBron James will once again be the first option for JJ Redick. In Game 1, the Lakers took a 107-98 win with pure offensive rhythm. And James played a very important role. He opened the game like a master conductor. James set the tone early, dishing out eight assists in the first quarter alone. Every pass was intentional, every decision smooth and precise. His teammates benefited from easy looks and growing confidence. By the final buzzer, he finished with 13 assists. The offense never bogged down; instead, it stayed in a steady rhythm, possession after possession, all orchestrated by his sharp basketball IQ.

At the same time, the Rockets didn’t have Kevin Durant to control the game. And that tilted the game in LA’s favor. Simply because Houston hit only 37.6% of their shots, despite grabbing 21 offensive rebounds for extra chances, they had 13 turnovers and missed looks that hurt their record on the floor. But the problems persisted in Game 2. Although the Slim Reaper had a good game, he struggled to make any tangible impact in the second half. His nine turnovers overall proved detrimental in the end, as LA focused on blocking his access to teammates while clogging the paint.

When will LeBron James’ teammates return to the floor? Do we have a timeline?

Austin Reaves is back on the court, working through light drills, with a focus on how quickly he can advance into the playoffs. Before getting sidelined, he pushed through the oblique issue in the second half of the Thunder game and kept playing. After the game, he walked out in strong spirits, which only boosts optimism about his condition. LA is now closely tracking his progression, balancing recovery and readiness as each session matters more than the last.

However, the decision is closely tied to the situation and the risk. If the Lakers hold a 3-2 lead, they may choose to be patient and delay his return further. But if they risk facing elimination late in the series, urgency could push him back sooner. It depends on how his body responds in the coming days.

On the other hand, Luka Doncic is trending toward missing the Rockets series entirely, with multiple updates already pointing in that direction. Even his trip to Spain for treatment briefly raised hope, but the Lakers now view his hamstring strain as too unpredictable. The injury carries a higher risk than Reaves’ oblique issue, especially with rushing back, potentially causing long-term setbacks.

So now, LeBron James carries the burden again as the Lakers balance urgency and caution. Of course, the underlying hope would be that the 41-year-old stays fit throughout.