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WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 30: Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers celebrates in front of Jamir Watkins #5 of the Washington Wizards during the first half at Capital One Arena on January 30, 2026 in Washington, DC.

The Los Angeles Lakers are heading into Game 6 in the first round of the NBA Playoffs against the Houston Rockets and are still waiting for a Luka Doncic injury return.

Doncic, who is dealing with a grade 2 hamstring strain, isn’t expected to play in the Lakers’ series against the Rockets. However, the idea of Doncic returning sooner than his initial timeline has been an idea floating around recently, especially if the Lakers lose Game 6 on Friday night.

While Los Angeles is up 3-2, they’ve dropped the last two games, and if they fall in Game 6, the team was urged to do whatever they can to win a Game 7, even if that includes bringing Doncic back from injury earlier than expected.

Lakers Urged To ‘Reconsider Everything’ On Luka Doncic Injury Return

Speaking on FanDuel’s Run It Back show, former NBA star DeMarcus Cousins said that if the Lakers lose Game 6, which would result in the series being tied back up, they should ‘rethink everything’ about a potential Doncic injury return.

“I believe the Lakers think they can win this series without (Luka Doncic),” he said. “(But) if it goes to Game 7, they reconsider everything. Obviously you need your star guy out there.

Doncic is expected to miss the rest of the Lakers-Rockets series, and a potential return timeline if Los Angeles can advance to the second round remains uncertain.

Still, if the Lakers do end up losing three in a row, momentum isn’t going to be on their side. While they did get Austin Reaves back from injury in Game 5, the Rockets have been surging, and Los Angeles might need all the help they can get to not become the first team in NBA history to lose a 3-0 series lead.

Cousins added that he thinks the Lakers believe they can win the series and that they are buying more time for Doncic to return healthy. However, if they drop Friday’s matchup and Houston forces a Game 7, cause for concern will grow, and plans could change.

What We Know About Luka Doncic’s Return Timeline

While Doncic is officially out indefinitely, the initial return timeline was roughly four to six weeks. Suffering the hamstring injury on April 2, he’s roughly four weeks out, but still, the Lakers haven’t offered a new update on their star.

Shams Charania had previously reported that Doncic is further back in his recovery process than initially thought, as while is progressing to on-court work, there’s a chance he could miss all of the second round.

“The expectation is if the Lakers are able to beat Houston and advance, Luka Doncic will be out for the next series,” he said on Wednesday. “There’s still no timetable for him as of right now. He’s starting to do more court movement as [Lakers coach] JJ Redick said the other day, but he is not at the point where he’s progressing in his own court work outs as far as one-on-ones and truly pushing it on a movement front.”

Opposingly, Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints believes that if the Lakers can advance past the Rockets, sometime in the middle of the second round is a fair return date for Doncic.

“Sources close to the situation said the earliest Doncic would possibly return in a series against the Thunder would be when play shifts to Los Angeles for Games 3 and 4,” Siegel wrote on Wednesday. “But there is no guarantee Doncic would be available for either game, as his status over the next two weeks will be dependent on how his body heals and responds to treatment.”

Still, the reporting throughout the first round has been that the Slovenian star is not expected to play. But, as Cousins explained, if the Lakers drop Game 6 to Houston, the idea of Doncic being upgraded to available can’t be ruled out. If Los Angeles’ season ends at the hands of the Rockets, Doncic won’t be playing regardless, so in hopes of extending their playoff run, bringing back their leading scorer and franchise star might have to be considered.

Regardless, a Doncic injury return in the first round will only be discussed if the Lakers lose Game 6. They have a chance to close out the Rockets and become the 160th team in NBA history to capitalize on a 3-0. But if that doesn’t happen, and Houston forces a Game 7 with momentum on their side, it could be a big enough concern that the Lakers’ brass rethink bringing Doncic back.