Lakers in Freefall: Reaves Done, Luka Hobbled, LeBron Carrying Everything

The Lakers are falling apart at the worst possible time.

Austin Reaves is officially done for the rest of the regular season after suffering a Grade 2 oblique strain on April 2 against the Thunder. Luka Dončić is dealing with a hamstring issue that's limited him in recent games. That leaves a 41-year-old LeBron James as the only fully healthy star on the roster with three games left before the playoffs.

LA has dropped three straight and is now tied with the Houston Rockets for the 4/5 seeds in the West. The Nuggets, riding a 10-game win streak, have pulled 1.5 games ahead. If the Lakers slip to the 5-seed, they'd face the Thunder in the first round — the defending champs who just clinched the league's best record.

The hope is that Reaves can return for the playoffs and Luka can get healthy during the final few days of rest. But right now, LeBron is doing everything: scoring, playmaking, defending, and willing a compromised roster through the regular season's final stretch. He's 41. This shouldn't be possible.