In the preceding week, following the Los Angeles Lakers’ substantial 43-point defeat to the reigning NBA champions, the Oklahoma City Thunder, Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves both sustained injuries that will sideline them for at least the remainder of the regular season schedule.
Merely five days later, the Lakers are poised to compete against the Western Conference-leading Thunder once more, and this time, even LeBron James will be absent from the lineup.
James, who is currently managing a left foot ailment, will be unavailable for Tuesday night’s pivotal game in Los Angeles, an announcement made by the Lakers just hours before tip-off.
ESPN’s Dave McMenamin reported that James’s specific complaint is left foot tenderness. Los Angeles has already successfully clinched the Pacific Division title and secured a berth in the playoffs. With a record of 50 wins and 28 losses, the Lakers presently hold the fourth position in the West. They are trailing the Denver Nuggets by only half a game, a team against whom they possess a tiebreaker advantage.
L.A. has four contests remaining in the regular season. This includes Tuesday’s game against the Thunder, which marks the initial match in a demanding sequence of three games over four nights for JJ Redick’s team, severely affected by injuries.
Dončić is currently rehabilitating a left hamstring strain, and reports indicate that the Slovenian superstar has traveled to Europe to pursue specialized medical care aimed at expediting his recovery from a setback that interrupted an MVP-caliber season. In his inaugural full season with the Lakers, Dončić has maintained a league-leading average of 33.5 points per game. He delivered an exceptional performance in March, averaging 37.5 points throughout the month, but now faces uncertainty regarding his eligibility for the NBA’s end-of-season accolades.
Since he concluded the season just one game short of the league’s 65-game minimum requirement for these honors, Dončić’s representatives submitted an “Extraordinary Circumstances Challenge,” citing the two games he missed due to the birth of his second child.
Dončić’s injury has been diagnosed as a Grade 2 hamstring strain, and he is currently out of action for an indefinite period. Reaves, meanwhile, is progressing in his recovery from a Grade 2 oblique strain and is reportedly anticipated to be sidelined for four to six weeks. Similar to Dončić, Reaves has enjoyed a standout season in 2025-26, contributing averages of 23.3 points, 5.5 assists, and 4.7 rebounds per contest.
Dončić and Reaves rank as the Lakers’ premier scorers this season, with James occupying the third spot on that list. Following a 134-128 loss to the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday, the 41-year-old articulated the profound emotional challenge he experienced upon receiving the news of his teammates’ injuries.
“Learning about Luka was clearly a blow to the heart, the chest, and the core,” James conveyed, as reported by McMenamin. “That news reached us quite swiftly. … AR had been contending with the [oblique] discomfort. … We anticipated he would undergo an MRI, but indeed, I awoke from my afternoon rest yesterday, saw the update, and my reaction was, ‘Damn!’”
Consequently, James, too, will be absent from the Lakers’ roster for their upcoming encounter with the Thunder.
James, a 22-time All-Star participating in his 23rd NBA season—an unprecedented record—has appeared in 57 games this season. He was sidelined for the initial 14 contests due to sciatica, a condition characterized by discomfort that radiates along the sciatic nerve, extending from the lower back, through the buttocks, and down the leg.
