JJ Redick offered his first update on Luka Doncic since before the Lakers landed in Texas, and the message was encouraging but still far from a timetable. Doncic continues to recover from a left hamstring strain suffered April 2 in Oklahoma City, and Redick said Sunday that the star guard had moved a little on the court and was progressing, even as he stopped short of saying when he might return.
Redick said Doncic has kept doing work on the court, including stationary shooting drills after practice Thursday morning before the Lakers flew to Houston. He said most of that work had been stand-still until Sunday, when Doncic was able to move a bit more. “He just continues to kind of do some stuff on the court,” Redick said, adding that “(He) was able to move a little bit today on the court, which, you know, most of the stuff had been stand-still. So he’s progressing, but no update on any timeline or anything like that.”
The update matters because the Lakers are still managing absences in the middle of the Rockets series, with Austin Reaves downgraded for Game 3 and Game 4 in Houston. Doncic’s recovery now sits alongside a postseason injury picture that has changed the matchup on both sides, even as no one is giving a firm read on when he might be available again.
Redick also said he and Reaves spoke at length Saturday and that the final hurdle for any player coming back is confidence. “Austin and I had a conversation (Saturday) for a long time, and I think ultimately the athlete has to feel confidence,” he said, adding that “that’s always the final hurdle coming back from an injury, is the psychological component of it.”
Houston had its own major injury development Sunday, ruling Kevin Durant out for the third time in the best-of-seven series. Coach Ime Udoka said Durant is dealing with a bone bruise in his ankle, and that the combination of the bruise and limited mobility made him a non-participant for Game 4. “The bone bruise is the worst part about it,” Udoka said. “Like I said, they did all the treatment, rehab and pushed some swelling out. But the pain from the bone bruise is the main thing and limited mobility.” He said Durant was on an underwater treadmill during Game 3 on Friday night, and reported that the injury would typically require a multi-week recovery period.
For Doncic, the point for now is simpler: he is moving more, but not yet enough to put a date on the luka doncic return. Until that changes, the Lakers are left reading small steps as the only meaningful sign of progress.
