Following Portland’s thrilling victory over the Suns in the NBA Play-In Tournament, the NBA announced the rest of the schedule for the NBA playoffs — and Laker Nation should be celebrating.
In a shocking — or not so shocking if you believe media pundits and conspiracy theorists — revelation, the first-round series between the Lakers and Rockets is one of the most drawn out of the opening round.
Game 1 is set for Saturday, April 18, which was known. But the real juicy part came in the remaining part of the schedule.
Game 2 is set for Tuesday, April 21 in Los Angeles, before the series moves to Houston for Games 3 and 4 on April 24 and 26, respectively. That gives the Lakers two full days off between Games 1 and 2 and 2 and 3, almost unheard of in an NBA playoff situation.
However, that wasn’t the most shocking revelation.
Should the series get to a Game 5 back in Los Angeles, that will be played on Wednesday, April 29, 11 days after Game 1.
Games 6 and 7 are set for May 1 and May 3, respectively.
This is huge news for the Lakers as they enter the postseason one of the most snake-bitten teams in the NBA.
Luka Doncic (Grade 2 left hamstring strain) and Austin Reaves (Grade 2 left oblique strain) both suffered regular season-ending injuries during the Lakers’ April 2 road loss to the Thunder.
When asked on Tuesday about their availability for Game 1, head coach JJ Redick was blunt in his response.
“They’re out indefinitely,” Redick said. “I’m not going to have an update for you this week. They’re out indefinitely.”
Doncic was having an MVP-caliber season before suffering the injury with five games remaining in the regular season. He led the league in scoring (33.5 points), was third in assists (8.3) and sixth in steals (1.6).
While not as heralded as Doncic and LeBron James, the Lakers looked like a true title contender when Reaves returned from injury. With him in the lineup, Los Angeles went 15-2 in March and surged.
Reaves was at the Lakers’ practice facility on Tuesday and was seen shooting on the court during the portion of practice that was open to media members.
While wearing slides, Reaves participated in a free throw shooting contest at the end of practice, missing a trio of free throws to the delight of his teammates. He made a corner 3-pointer before walking off the court.
It’s expected that both injuries take around 4-6 weeks to heal.
Doncic is attempting to speed up that process by traveling to Spain to receive special treatment (he’s scheduled to return to stateside on Friday), while Reaves’ situation is more about pain management.
With the way the first round schedule has been set, Doncic and Reaves could potentially return for Game 5, which would be four weeks since they both suffered the initial injury.
Any bit of a hope is reason for celebration if you’re Los Angeles.
Game 1: Saturday, April 18 (Los Angeles) — 5:30 p.m. (ABC)
Game 2: Tuesday, April 21 (Los Angeles) — 7:30 p.m. (NBC)
Game 3: Friday, April 24 (Houston) — 5 p.m. (Prime)
Game 4: Sunday, April 26 (Houston) — 6:30 p.m. (NBC)
Game 5: Wednesday, April 29 (Los Angeles) — TBD (TBD)
Game 6: Friday, May 1 (Houston) — TBD (TBD)
Game 7: Wednesday, May 3 (Los Angeles) — TBD (TBD)
