Lakers start vs. Rockets amid injury doubts
The Lakers draw the Houston Rockets in the first round but Luka Dončić is not expected to be ready for Game 1 because of a Grade‑2 hamstring strain, and Austin Reaves remains out for the opening series. To cover depth the Lakers signed Nick Smith Jr. to a two‑year deal, and sportsbooks favor Houston after an 11–4 late run and a strong net‑rating over that stretch (heavy.com) (sports.yahoo.com) (si.com).
The Lakers open their first-round series against Houston on Saturday, April 18, with Luka Dončić still recovering from a Grade 2 left hamstring strain and Austin Reaves sidelined by a Grade 2 oblique injury. (nba.com) Los Angeles finished 53-29 and secured the No. 4 seed in the Western Conference, while Houston finished 52-30 as the No. 5 seed. Game 1 is listed for Saturday, April 18, at the Lakers’ home floor. (nba.com) (espn.com) Dončić injured his hamstring in the April 2 loss at Oklahoma City, and the Lakers announced on April 3 that he would miss at least the rest of the regular season. Reaves suffered his oblique injury in that same Thunder game and was ruled out for the remainder of the regular season on April 4. (espn.com) (nba.com) Those injuries changed the shape of the matchup because the Lakers’ two primary ballhandlers behind LeBron James have not played since early April. NBA.com’s series preview said both players missed the final five games of the regular season and entered the first round with uncertain status. (nba.com) The Lakers moved to add depth on April 12, signing guard Nick Smith Jr. from a two-way deal to a standard National Basketball Association contract. The team said Smith had appeared in 29 games this season and averaged 6.0 points in 12.3 minutes. (nba.com) ESPN reported the new contract is for two years and said the move came with Dončić and Reaves still sidelined. Smith had scored 12 points against Utah on Sunday before the signing was finalized. (espn.com) Sportsbooks opened Houston as the favorite for the series, and ESPN’s odds page listed the Rockets as 5.5-point road favorites for Game 1 with the Lakers at +170 on the moneyline. Sports Illustrated said Houston was “heavily favored” in the opening series market. (espn.com) (si.com) Houston enters with momentum after winning eight straight to close the regular season, according to NBA.com’s playoff preview. The same preview said the Rockets could exploit Los Angeles’ missing backcourt if Dončić and Reaves are not ready at the start. (nba.com) The series now turns on the same question that emerged on April 2 in Oklahoma City: how much offense the Lakers can generate without two injured guards, and whether they can buy enough time for one of them to return. (espn.com) (nba.com)
