Forward Rui Hachimura said the Los Angeles Lakers felt the absence of Luka Doncic’s trademark humor while the All-Star guard was in Europe undergoing treatment, but noted the team is happy he is back with the group as the playoffs continue.
Doncic rejoined the Lakers for Game 1 of their first-round series against the Houston Rockets and participated in the club’s most recent practice at Crypto.com Arena. Although the 27-year-old remains listed as out indefinitely, Hachimura stressed the value of Doncic’s presence on the bench and in the locker room.
“It’s amazing,” Hachimura said. “People don’t know how much impact Luka has not only on the court but off the court. We love him just being around, just hanging out, talking. He was doing funny things as always, so we missed him for sure.”
Hachimura added that Doncic quickly resumed light-hearted banter with coaches and teammates — the same behavior fans often see on broadcast cameras. The guard is known for exchanging jokes and friendly trash talk throughout practices and games.
Los Angeles leads the series 1-0 after a physical opener in which both clubs were without their primary scorers: Doncic for the Lakers and Kevin Durant for Houston. With Doncic and guard Austin Reaves still sidelined, head coach Darvin Ham has leaned on Hachimura, who started Game 1 and provided consistent offense against the Rockets’ multi-level defense.
Game 2 is expected to be another rugged matchup between short-handed Western Conference rivals. The Lakers remain hopeful Doncic can log minutes later in the series, but team officials have offered no timetable for his return.
Doncic Misses Out on MVP Finalist List
Despite capturing the 2025-26 NBA scoring title, Doncic was not among the three finalists for the league’s Most Valuable Player award. The season marked one of his strongest offensive campaigns to date.
The Lakers will continue to monitor Doncic’s recovery while attempting to advance past the first round without their leading scorer.
Source: LakersNation.com
