DALLAS (AP) — The bleak timeline for Luka Doncic’s return from injury was already out there when the Los Angeles Lakers got word that Austin Reaves also wouldn’t play again in the regular season.

LeBron James woke up from a nap to find out about the prognosis on Reaves’ strained left oblique. He had gone to sleep knowing the outlook on a strained left hamstring for Doncic, the NBA scoring leader.

kAm“xE H2D 2 D9@E E@ E96 962CE 2?5 E@ E96 496DE 2?5 E96 >2:? 7C2>6 H:E9 {F<2[ 2?5 H6 8@E E92E ?6HD <:?5 @7 BF:4<[” y2>6D D2:5 27E6C E96 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^=2<6CD\>2G6C:46D\h7`ga27egfd2`5b3fc_2bb5d4hddagc2Qm{2<6CDV `bc\`ag =@DD E@ E96 s2==2D |2G6C:42J 36]’k^Am

kAm“x H@<6 FA 7C@> >J ?2A J6DE6C52J 2?5 E96? D2H E92E ?6HD[ x H2D =:<6 ]]] W6IA=6E:G6X[” y2>6D D2:5[ A2FD:?8 7@C D6G6C2= D64@?5D 367@C6 AF?4EF2E:?8 9:D E9@F89E]k^Am

kAmu@C ?@H[ E96 A=2J@77\3@F?5 {2<6CD H:== =62? @? y2>6D 2D E96:C AC:>2CJ D4@C6C 2?5 7=@@C =6256C[ H9:=6 <66A:?8 😕 >:?5 E96 c`\J62C\@=5 😀 HC2AA:?8 FA 9:D C64@C5 abC5 }qp D62D@?]k^Am

kAm$FC6 6?@F89[ y2>6D 925 b_ A@:?ED 2?5 `d 2DD:DED 282:?DE E96 |2G6C:4 E96 7:6=5 😕 E96 7:?2= `a >:?FE6D[ 2?5 >:DD65 3@E9 7C66 E9C@HD H96? E96 567:4:E H2D 6:89E H:E9 bid_ C6>2:?:?8]k^Am

kAm“x E9:?< H6 92G6 E@ 36 >:?57F= @7 E92E] x E9:?< E92E’D 2 G2=:5 BF6DE:@?[” 4@249 yy #65:4< D2:5 367@C6 E96 82>6] “u@C 2== @FC 8FJD[ 9:> :?4=F565[ H6 H2?E E@ AFE E96> 😕 A@D:E:@?D E@ 36 DF446DD7F=] r6CE2:? 8FJD 2C6 8@??2 36 E2D<65 H:E9 5@:?8 DEF77 E96J 92G6?’E 5@?6 2 =@E @7 E9:D J62C]”k^Am

kAms@?4:4 2?5 #62G6D[ {pVD }@] a D4@C6C[ 3@E9 H6C6 :?;FC65 😕 2 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^=2<6CD\E9F?56C\D4@C6\e_afcgffcgced742a_eee_c_b267hbdhQm3=@H@FE =@DD E@ ~<=29@>2 r:EJk^2m @? %9FCD52J ?:89E]k^Am

kAm~7 4@FCD6[ s@?4:4 😀 E96 46?E6CA:646 @7 E92E 4@?G6CD2E:@? 2D 2? |’! 42?5:52E6 H9@ H:== 7:?:D9 E96 D62D@? @?6 82>6 D9@CE @7 E96 ed C6BF:C65 E@ 36 6=:8:3=6 7@C E92E 2?5 @E96C A@DED62D@? 2H2C5D]k^Am

kAm“x ;FDE @H E92E 96’D 8@??2 5@ 6G6CJE9:?8 96 42? E@ ECJ E@ 36 324<[” #65:4< D2:5] “x E2=<65 E@ 9:> uC:52J[ x E2=<65 9:> 282:? W$2EFC52JX[ x E2=<65 H:E9 9:> 282:? W$F?52JX >@C?:?8] w6’D 8@??2 8@ E9C@F89 2== E96 ?646DD2CJ E9:?8D E@ 36 324< 2E D@>6 A@:?E[ 2?5 :E’D @FC ;@3 282:? E@ 6IE6?5 E96 D62D@? D@ E92E 3@E9 E9@D6 8FJD 42? 86E 324<]”k^Am

kAm~? $F?52J[ k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]6DA?]4@>^?32^DE@CJ^0^:5^cgc_h_hf^=F<2\5@?4:4\92>DEC:?8\D66<\DA64:2=:K65\EC62E>6?E\6FC@A6Qmt$!} C6A@CE65k^2m E92E s@?4:4 H:== 8@ E@ tFC@A6 E@ D66< DA64:2=:K65 EC62E>6?E @? 9:D 92>DEC:?8[ 4:E:?8 286?E q:== sF77J @7 (|t q2D<6E32==]k^Am

kAm#65:4< DA@<6 @7 A@:?E 8F2C5 3J 4@>>:EE66[ 2? 2AAC@249 >256 ?646DD2CJ 3J 2?@E96C 23D6?46 😕 |2C4FD $>2CE[ H9@ 92D 2 C:89E 2?<=6 :?;FCJ] #65:4< :?4=F565 y2>6DV D@?[ qC@??J y2>6D[ 😕 E92E >:I 2=@?8 H:E9 {F<6 z6??2C5[ }:4< $>:E9 yC] 2?5 E96 D6=5@>\FD65 z@36 qF7<:?]k^Am

kAmz6??2C5 925 9:D 7:CDE 42C66C EC:A=6\5@F3=6 H:E9 `d A@:?ED[ 2 42C66C\9:89 `e C63@F?5D 2?5 “ 2DD:DED[ 3FE 925 2 C@F89 D9@@E:?8 ?:89 282:?DE E96 |2G6C:4@?8 E96 @E96CD >6?E:@?65 3J #65:4<[ @?=J qC@??J y2>6D A=2J65 >@C6 E92? 7:G6 >:?FE6D[ D4@C:?8 7:G6 A@:?ED 😕 ?:?6 >:?FE6D]k^Am

kAm“x E9:?< D:>A=:4:EJ H:?D[” #65:4< D2:5] “xE’D ?@E9:?8 E@@ 4C2KJ] qFE :E’D ;FDE 36:?8 C62==J D:>A=6 H:E9 E96 >6?F 2?5 9@A67F==J @G6C E96 ?6IE 7:G6 82>6D[ H6 42? C62==J 7:8FC6 @FE H92E H@C

kAmy2>6D 925 2 EC:A=6\5@F3=6 H:E9 a` A@:?ED[ `_ C63@F?5D 2?5 `a 2DD:DED 😕 2 G:4E@CJ @G6C (2D9:?8E@? =2DE H66< H96? s@?4:4 H2D D6CG:?8 2 @?6\82>6 DFDA6?D:@? 7@C C646:G:?8 9:D `eE9 E649?:42= 7@F= E9:D D62D@?]k^Am

kAm%96 =@DD E@ s2==2D 5C@AA65 E96 {2<6CD :?E@ 2 E9:C5\A=246 E:6 H:E9 s6?G6C 😕 E96 (6DE6C? r@?76C6?46] u:7E9\A=246 w@FDE@? 4@F=5 6?5 FA 492D:?8 9@>6\4@FCE 25G2?E286 😕 E96 7:CDE C@F?5 2D H6==[ A2CE:4F=2C=J H:E9 E96 {2<6CD D@ H@F?565]k^Am

kAm#F: w249:>FC2 D4@C65 `a @7 9:D a` A@:?ED 😕 E96 7:CDE BF2CE6C 282:?DE E96 |2G6C:46 2?5 96=5 @? 56DA:E6 y2>6DV DEC@?8 D9@H:?8 2?5 ab A@:?ED 7C@> 324

kAm%96 {2<6CD D9@E daT H:E9 be 2DD:DED[ EH@ @77 E96:C D62D@? 9:89[ 3FE =6E E96 |2GD >2E49 E92E daT] s2==2D[ @?6 @7 E96 }qpVD H@CDE E62>D 7C@> b\A@:?E C2?86[ >256 `c @7 ba WccTX]k^Am

kAm“(6’G6 8@E 2 H66< =67E @7 E96 C68F=2C D62D@? 2?5 E96? 2 H66< E@ AC6A2C6 2?5 H6’G6 8@EE2 92G6 E96 4@>>:E>6?E E@ 5@ :E @? 3@E9 6?5D[” #65:4< D2:5 27E6C E96 82>6] “%92E’D E96 C62D@? E92E H6’G6 AFE @FCD6=G6D 😕 E96 A@D:E:@? E@ 36 😕 E96 A=2J@77D 😀 3642FD6 H6 3642>6 2 C62==J 8@@5 @776?D:G6 E62> 2?5 2 C62==J 8@@5 5676?D:G6 E62>] $@ :E’D 8@EE2 36 E96 4@>>:E>6?E E@ 3@E9 6?5D]”k^Am

k9C ^m

kAmp! }qpi k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^?32Qm9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^?32k^2mk^Am







Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.