Austin Reaves Joins the Lakers for Game 5 Against the Rockets
Austin Reaves Set to Return for Lakers in Crucial Playoff Matchup Against Rockets
After being sidelined for a month due to a Grade 2 left oblique strain, Austin Reaves will return to the court on Wednesday as the Los Angeles Lakers aim to secure their first-round playoff series against the Houston Rockets. The Lakers currently lead the series 3-1.
Reaves sustained his injury during a game against the Oklahoma City Thunder less than a month ago, and expectations were that he would remain out for the entirety of the first round—a typical healing timeframe for such injuries is four to six weeks. Remarkably, after only three weeks, he has been upgraded to questionable on the status report and will make his return just one day shy of four weeks. His presence is expected to provide a significant boost as the Lakers look to close out a resilient Rockets team.
His comeback comes at a crucial time for the Lakers, who are still managing a shorthanded backcourt, particularly in the absence of Luka Doncic. Throughout this series, the team has averaged 20 turnovers per game, with a particularly rough outing leading to 24 turnovers in Game 4 in Houston. LeBron James, who has been shouldering most of the playmaking duties, recorded eight turnovers in each of the last two games.
“If he is able to go, we just want Austin to be Austin,” Lakers coach JJ Redick stated ahead of the game. “That’s the biggest thing. I think as the series has gone on, their pressure and physicality have just increased every game, and ball-handling has been important for us all series.”
A win against the Rockets would propel the Lakers into the Western Conference semifinals, where they would face the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder, who completed a sweep of the Phoenix Suns in the first round.
While Los Angeles is gaining strength, the Rockets will be without their star player for the third consecutive game. Kevin Durant has been ruled out due to a left ankle sprain, having missed four of the five games in the series.
