The Lakers face further setbacks! Reaves suffers a Grade 2 strain and is out for the remainder of the regular season, while Doncic is already sidelined indefinitely.

On April 5th Beijing time, following the blow of Doncic's left hamstring strain and indefinite absence, Lakers head coach Redick announced today that Reaves had an MRI on his left oblique/rib region. Then, further unfortunate news emerged: Reaves was confirmed to have a Grade 2 strain of his left oblique muscle and will be out for the remaining regular season games. Shams reports that Reaves is anticipated to miss 4 to 6 weeks. With two key scorers for the Lakers suffering serious injuries consecutively, the situation is extremely dire. Both Reaves and Doncic are highly likely to miss the first round of the NBA playoffs.

Despite severe personnel shortages—guard Smart has missed six consecutive games due to groin and ankle injuries and remains under daily observation—Redick emphasized that the Lakers' fighting spirit remains strong.

“Our goal hasn't changed,” Redick said. “The remaining players and coaching staff still aim to push for the third spot in the West and strive to win playoff series. Regarding Doncic's situation, we'll have to wait and see.”

The Lakers currently hold a record of 50 wins and 27 losses. With only five games left in the regular season, they lead the 4th-place Nuggets by one game, the 5th-place Rockets by two games, and the 6th-place Timberwolves by three games. Additionally, the Lakers have superior head-to-head records against all three teams, holding tiebreaker advantages.

The team announced yesterday that Doncic has a Grade 2 strain of his left hamstring, an injury typically requiring about a month of recovery. Beyond confirming his absence for the rest of the regular season, the Lakers have not provided a specific return timetable. The first round of the NBA playoffs begins in two weeks.

Reaves experienced discomfort in his left side during the first half of the Lakers' 96-139 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder. He went back to the locker room for evaluation but later returned, playing 27 minutes and scoring a team-high 15 points.

“I went for a rebound and overextended a bit, then felt the discomfort,” Reaves explained after the game. “But it feels okay now; we'll see how it goes.”

Reaves underwent two MRI scans because the first one incorrectly targeted a different area of his body.

“I don't know how the imaging process is arranged here in Dallas, but they indeed scanned the wrong spot,” Redick said. “It wasn't an issue on our side.”

Neither Reaves nor Smart participated in the full team practice held today at the Southern Methodist University campus.

With Doncic sidelined indefinitely and Reaves out for the regular season, Redick stated that the Lakers will distribute offensive responsibilities among multiple players, naming LeBron James, Luke Kennard, Rui Hachimura, and Deandre Ayton.

“This is definitely a challenge for us,” James said after practice. “We must adopt a ‘next man up’ mentality. But no one can truly replace the impact of a player like Doncic. So it has to be about teamwork, everyone taking on a bit more… Now we must be more meticulous in our details. Losing such a top player means we can't afford many mistakes; we have to find ways to solve problems.”

During the Lakers' recent winning streak, James had transitioned into the team's third offensive option, with most playmaking and primary scoring duties handled by Doncic and Reaves. Over the past seven games, James averaged 15.6 points per game in his playing time, with a 46.3% field goal percentage (25.0% from three), 7.3 rebounds, and 7.3 assists, averaging only 11.7 shots per game—far below his career average of 18.6 attempts.

When asked about adjusting his mindset to face upcoming challenges, James said: “When your role changes, whatever the reason, you have to adjust your mentality as the team requires. So my mindset will certainly shift.”

Redick mentioned that he plans to expand the rotation during this period, moving from the usual 9-player rotation to 11 players, and noted that Kobe Bufkin, little Nick Smith, and Dalton Knecht, after finishing the G League playoffs with the South Bay Lakers, will join the main team in Dallas.

“Everyone needs to be ready and give their full effort,” Redick added.

After Monday's game against the Mavericks, the Lakers will face three teams influencing the Western Conference playoff landscape: the Thunder on Wednesday, the Warriors on Friday, and the Suns on Saturday, followed by a home game against the Utah Jazz to conclude the regular season.

“The Mavericks will definitely come out very aggressive tomorrow,” James said about the opponent. “They just had a tough battle with Orlando. We also have to play the Thunder, and then the Warriors who are still fighting for positioning, and the Suns who are still competing. So the schedule remains challenging for us, and we must be prepared.”