May 1, 2026, 11:22 a.m. ET
The absence of Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic hasn’t affected the team so far in their first-round Western Conference matchup against the Houston Rockets.
The Lakers took the first three games of the series, but have dropped the last two, including a 99-93 loss in Game 5.
The Rockets are looking to become the first NBA team to force a Game 7 since the Boston Celtics in the 2023 Eastern Conference Finals against the Miami Heat. Each of the three previous NBA teams that forced a series finale down 0-3 lost Game 7.
Doncic was injured on April 2 against the Oklahoma City Thunder, diagnosed with a Grade 2 left hamstring strain, and hasn’t played since.
Should the Lakers advance, their opponent will be the Thunder, who beat Los Angeles in all four regular-season meetings, winning by an average of 22 points per game. Doncic is not expected to be ready for the start of that series because of the injury.
