If the Los Angeles Lakers had it their way, Luka Dončić would be back on the floor. He's still recovering from the Grade 2 hamstring strain he suffered at the beginning of April, though. The superstar point guard is still finding ways to help his team from the sideline, specifically his backcourt partner, Austin Reaves, who is coming off an oblique injury.
Dončić said that his message to Reaves is "just be yourself." He said he knows the 27-year-old is "an amazing player" and that he will "bounce back."
Luka Dončić on Austin Reaves, who like him, has had to work back from injury late in the season. "It's tough. He came back from an injury stuff. But my message to him is just be yourself. We all know he's an amazing player, and we all know he's gonna bounce back."
— Dan Woike (@DanWoikeSports) May 6, 2026
Reaves missed nearly a month, returning in Game 5 of LA's first-round playoff series against Houston. He shot 4-of-16 from the field and 2-of-8 from three for 22 points in 34 minutes. Two nights later, he had 15 points on 7-of-14 shooting from the field. He missed all four of his three-point attempts.
As beneficial as it was for him to return against the Rockets without going straight into the fire in their second-round series against the Thunder, he's still knocking off a lot of rust. In Tuesday's Game 1 108-90 loss, he shot just 3-of-16 from the field for eight points. He was 0-of-5 from three.
It would make Reaves' life easier (and the Lakers' overall) if Dončić were out there to command attention from OKC's suffocating defense. That may not happen, so his encouragement is the next-best thing.
Luka Dončić is helping Austin Reaves as much as he can
If there were a team that the Lakers didn't want to face with Reaves still working to get back to his usual self, it'd be the Thunder. They can throw several different guys at you, almost spawning them out of nowhere. Oklahoma City has had the top-ranked defense for the past couple of years for a reason.
It's Los Angeles' reality, though. It's not ideal for Reaves to try to get into some sort of rhythm against the Thunder, but he doesn't have a choice.
Lakers fans hope that Reaves won't have another night where he shoots 18.8% from the field in Game 2 on Thursday, thinking it can't get worse than that. Maybe it won't, but with OKC, it could, especially with Dončić out.
It has to help for Reaves to know that his teammates believe in him, though, with LeBron James taking up for the guard when speaking with the media. Los Angeles can't afford for his confidence to take a major hit. Coach Luka won't let that happen.
Add us as a preferred source on Google