Lakers star Luka Doncic goes through court drills before potential return: ‘Soon’

TL;DR

Luka Doncic participated in shooting drills ahead of the Lakers' playoff games, indicating a potential return soon. There is currently no official timeline for his comeback.

Key points

Luka Doncic participated in shooting drills.
No official timeline for his return has been provided.
Doncic performed both right-handed and left-handed jump shots.
Austin Reaves is also dealing with an injury.
Lakers are currently in the playoffs.

Luka DoncicLos Angeles LakersAustin ReavesHouston Rockets

An image collage containing 3 images, Image 1 shows Luka Dončić smiling and clapping during a game, Image 2 shows Basketball player Luka Doncic in a purple Lakers jersey with number 77, smiling on court, Image 3 shows Luka Doncic practices shooting a basketball with other players on the court There hasn’t been an official update on the timeline for Luka Doncic’s return to the court, but there was an encouraging sign before the Lakers traveled to Houston.

Khobi Price

Getty Images Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images Getty Images Luka Doncic of the Los Angeles Lakers smiles during the game against the during Round One Game One of the 2026 NBA Playoffs on April 18, 2026 at Crypto.Com Arena in , California. (Photo by Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images) Luka Doncic of the Los Angeles Lakers celebrates after a basket against the at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on March 25, 2026 in Indianapolis, . (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) Luka Doncic and of the Los Angeles Lakers smile during the game against the on March 12, 2026 at Crypto.Com Arena in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images) Doncic was seen going through light shooting drills with assistant coach Greg St. Jean and head video coordinator Michael Wexler after the Lakers’ practice on Thursday before they left Southern California for Game 3 and Game 4 of the best-of-seven first round playoff series against the Rockets. At one point, Doncic gingerly took two right-handed drills while shuffling to his right side before shooting a jump shot inside the free throw arc. He did this three times before repeating the drill on his left side. Later in the session, took standstill 3-pointers. Coach said before that there wasn’t an update on the timeline for , adding that Doncic was going to start court work “soon”. Reaves has been seen doing court work over the last week. Doncic (Grade 2 left hamstring strain) and Reaves (Grade 2 left oblique strain) both suffered regular season-ending injuries in . The Lakers are up 2-0 in their playoff series over the Rockets. Since the NBA moved to a 16-team playoff format in 1984, teams that go up 2-0 in a series under the 2-2-1-1-1 home/away pattern have a 245-23 record (91.4% winning percentage of the series). “ [James] is making it very known not to get comfortable,” said. “And JJ as well, don’t get too complacent. This is the playoffs, anything can happen, man. We want to handle business just like how we handled business here at home. And [keep] everything solid. We take the stuff we did in the lab over there to Houston.”

Q&A

When is Luka Doncic expected to return to the court?

While there is no official timeline, Luka Doncic has begun light shooting drills, suggesting a return could be imminent.

What drills did Luka Doncic perform during practice?

Luka Doncic was seen doing light shooting drills, including right-handed and left-handed jump shots and standstill 3-pointers.

How has Luka Doncic's injury affected the Lakers' playoff performance?

Luka Doncic's absence has been significant, but the Lakers have managed to win games in the playoffs without him.

Who else is injured on the Lakers besides Luka Doncic?

Austin Reaves is also injured but has been seen doing court work recently.