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A new Luka Doncic return date may be hidden in an ESPN report, sparking fresh speculation about his Lakers playoff comeback.

Still without Luka Doncic, the Los Angeles Lakers are suddenly feeling the pressure that less than a week ago seemed unthinkable. They need a win over Houston in Game 6 to prevent the Rockets from forcing a Game 7 — a game that if the Lakers were to lose would give them the dubious honor of becoming the first team in NBA history to blow a 3-0 lead in a seven-game playoff series.

After taking the first three games of the series, the Lakers felt the absence of Doncic as they fell to Houston in Game 4 with no Los Angeles player scoring as many as 20 points.

The Lakers got another injured key player, Austin Reaves, back in the lineup for Game 5 on Wednesday, and Reaves delivered. The 6-foot-5 guard who joined the Lakers as an undrafted free agent in 2021 played 34 minutes coming off the oblique injury that had kept him out since April 2, and poured in 22 points. Only LeBron James with 25 scored more. But it wasn’t enough.

The Rockets stayed alive, squeaking out a 99-93 victory and setting up Friday’s Game 6 with the Lakers absolutely needing a win to avoid the doomsday Game 7 scenario.

They likely will not have Doncic to help them. The 27-year-old six-time All-Star has not officially been ruled out for Friday’s game, only because as of Thursday afternoon the Lakers had not yet submitted their injury report. The Lakers have given no indication that Doncic will be ready to play Game 6.

But Game 7 could be a different story, at least according to a detail posted Thursday without fanfare by ESPN.com.

Doncic ‘Estimated’ to Return for Game 7

On the ESPN.com injury report for Game 6, Doncic is listed as “out.” In fact, the NBA’s leading scorer (33.5 per game) is the only Lakers player listed as injured at all.

But unlike the official NBA injury report, the ESPN.com version also includes an “estimated return” date for each player. Until Thursday, that date was listed as May 1. But the new updated return date for Doncic is now listed as May 3.

That day would also be the same day as Game 7 of the Lakers vs. Rockets series, played back in Los Angeles.

Doncic Out Indefinitely — Or Is He?

For public consumption, the Lakers continue to maintain that Doncic remains out “indefinitely.” But until an injury report for a potential Game 7 is submitted and published by the NBA, the Lakers star remains at least potentially available for the decisive Sunday matchup.

Doncic suffered the hamstring injury in an April 2 game against the Oklahoma City Thunder. He traveled to Madrid, Spain, for eight days of treatments not available in the United States. The Lakers have not revealed the exact nature of the treatment. But they did reveal that the treatment consisted of “injections.” The entire purpose of those injections, which likely included platelet-rich plasma and possibly stem cells, was to speed the star player’s recovery.

According to a 2022 study, a program of PRP injections was found to shorten recovery times in athletes by an average of nine days. That would have put Doncic back in action as early as April 26.

That date came and went with no Doncic return. But May 3 would be another seven days later, taking Doncic to 31 days — closer to the 32.4 days for recovery found in the 2022 study for athletes treated with conventional methods. A Doncic return on May 3, despite the Lakers’ public denials, would be entirely realistic for Doncic to come back and help the Lakers advance to Round 2.