LOS ANGELES (AP) — Austin Reaves has a Grade 2 oblique muscle injury that will force him to miss the rest of the Los Angeles Lakers' regular season along with Luka Doncic, the team announced Saturday.
Reaves and Doncic both incurred potentially significant injuries on Thursday in Oklahoma City, throwing a major complication into the postseason hopes of the Lakers (50-27). Doncic is out for at least the next two weeks after straining his left hamstring in the Lakers' blowout loss to the Thunder.
Reaves and Doncic both got injured in the first half Thursday, but both returned to the game. Doncic was diagnosed with his second significant hamstring injury on Friday, while Reaves had an MRI on Saturday and was subsequently ruled out by the Lakers, who play at Dallas on Sunday.
Both Doncic and Reaves have been diagnosed with injuries that often take a month or more to heal properly, but the Lakers haven’t speculated on their availability beyond the next five games.
Reaves has blossomed into an elite NBA scorer and remained a vital offensive option alongside Doncic and LeBron James this season during the Lakers' run to the Pacific Division title. The former undrafted free agent is averaging 23.3 points, 5.5 assists and 4.7 rebounds while playing in 51 games this season, his fifth with the Lakers.
Reaves missed 19 games after straining his left calf on Christmas. He would be the NBA's 11th-leading scorer if he had played enough games to qualify.
The Lakers have won 16 of their last 19 games to surge into the third seed in the Western Conference. The playoffs begin in two weeks.
Before the severity of Reaves' injury was announced, Lakers coach JJ Redick told reporters in Dallas on Saturday that the team can't stop moving in Doncic's absence.
“Our mission, it hasn’t changed,” Redick said. “The rest of these guys and my staff, we’re going after the 3-seed, and we’re going to try to win a playoff series.”
After his breakout offensive play in his first full season alongside Doncic, Reaves will be eligible for a significant contract extension this summer if he declines his player option for the 2026-27 season as expected. Reaves and the Lakers both expect him to stay with the club.
The Lakers’ regular-season finale is April 12 at home against Utah.
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA
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