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The Los Angeles Lakers received promising news late Tuesday night.
After Portland delivered an exhilarating win against the Suns in the NBA Play-In Tournament, the NBA unveiled the playoff schedule, giving Laker fans a reason to cheer.
The first-round clash between the Lakers and Rockets has turned out to be one of the longest series in the opening round. Critics and conspiracy theorists might have seen this coming.
While it was known that Game 1 would tip off on Saturday, April 18, the real intrigue lies in the rest of the schedule.
Game 2 is slated for Tuesday, April 21 in Los Angeles, followed by Games 3 and 4 in Houston on April 24 and 26. This setup offers the Lakers an unusual luxury in the playoffs: two full days of rest between Games 1 and 2, and again between Games 2 and 3.
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.
First Round Schedule (if necessary)
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)