Published: May 1, 2026, at 11:22 a.m. ET
Despite the unavailability of Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic, the team has not yet felt his impact in their opening-round Western Conference playoff series against the Houston Rockets.
While the Lakers initially secured victories in the first three games of the series, they have since lost the subsequent two matchups, notably falling 99-93 in Game 5.
The Rockets aspire to be the first NBA franchise to compel a Game 7 since the Boston Celtics did so in the 2023 Eastern Conference Finals when facing the Miami Heat. Historically, all three prior NBA teams that pushed a series to a deciding Game 7 after trailing 0-3 ultimately suffered defeat in that final contest.
Doncic sustained a Grade 2 left hamstring strain on April 2 during a game versus the Oklahoma City Thunder, an injury that has kept him sidelined ever since.
If the Lakers manage to advance, their next adversary would be the Thunder, a team that swept Los Angeles in all four regular-season encounters, boasting an average winning margin of 22 points. Due to his injury, Doncic is not anticipated to be fit for the commencement of that potential series.
