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Luka Dončić stays engaged from the bench during the Lakers’ Game 3 win over the Rockets despite being sidelined with a hamstring injury.

The Los Angeles Lakers are looking to get back in the big column in a big way in Wednesday’s game against the Houston Rockets.

After a disappointing loss, a pivotal Game 5 is on tap. A win punches the Lakers’ ticket into a second round matchup against the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder, while a loss swings the door wide open for the desperate Rockets.

Things continue to get easier for L.A. and tougher for Houston as news out of the NBA this morning signals this series is about ready to be over. 

The Lakers are sitting on the verge of regaining the services of Austin Reaves and eventually Luka Doncic. Meanwhile, the Rockets, already in a 3-1 hole, are likely to be without 16-time All-Star Kevin Durant for the remainder of the series. 

Los Angeles Lakers Receive Major Update on Injured Stars

The outlook of L.A.’s season swung aggressively the night Doncic and Reaves both incurred Grade 2 strains. The Lakers’ two best scorers were eventually ruled out for multiple weeks as the feeling in Los Angeles was the team was headed face-first toward a first round exit.

However, the last 1 ½ weeks have been quite miraculous for L.A. Not that the Lakers somehow got lucky. Simply put, no one could’ve predicted this first round series would have gone like this. 

L.A. is one win away from the Western Conference semifinals, where it hasn’t been since 2023. Houston is down and probably without its best player, but they always say close out games are the absolute toughests. 

Achieving a first round triumph could be much easier if the Lakers get at least one of their stars back. The good news is help may finally be on the way.

According to ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania, the Lakers are hopeful Reaves plays in Wednesday’s Game 5.

“I’m told there is optimism he’s gonna be able to make it back into the lineup for Game 5,” Charania said. “Barring any setbacks, he’s gonna be a gametime decision. He’s hopeful to play in Wednesday’s game.”

Said Charania on Doncic: “Luka Doncic, though, is expected to miss the entire series and there is hope as he progresses in his on-court workouts. He just started that.”

Chance to Lock Up Round One Win, Face Daunting Challenge

The cliché of all sports clichés: to be the best, you have to beat the best.

The Lakers have some work to do before they can start thinking about a potential matchup against the defending champions, but they certainly can sense the opportunity. 

It has been brutal for L.A. against the Oklahoma City Thunder this season. 

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The Lakers have lost five straight games to the Thunder — and only one of those losses wasn’t by double-digits. 

When L.A. last came to Oklahoma City, it was the night the complexion of the entire Western Conference was changed. The night Doncic and Reaves’ regular season ended. The night the Lakers took a 43-point shellacking. 

The Lakers will have to fight back some mental demons if they make it past the Rockets to the Thunder. Getting Reaves back and eventually Doncic will be a major boost, but it’s hard not to see how badly the L.A. has struggled against Oklahoma City as of late.