Lakers' Austin Reaves: Could return later in quarterfinals
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ESPN's Shams Charania reported Tuesday on NBA Today that Reaves (oblique) is on track to return late during the first round of the Western Conference playoffs against the Rockets.
Reaves, who is further along than Luka Doncic (hamstring) in their respective rehab processes, has begun 1-on-1 on-court work but still needs to progress to 3-on-3 and 5-on-5 activities. Reaves might be more likely to return if the Lakers advance to the second round, but it sounds like the door is open for him to get back into the lineup later this series. In the meantime, Luke Kennard and Marcus Smart will try to help pick up the slack in the backcourt.
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Lakers' Austin Reaves: Confirmed out for Game 2
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Reaves (oblique) has been ruled out for Tuesday's Game 2 of the first-round series against the Rockets.
Reaves has missed the past six games due to a left oblique strain and will remain sidelined, as expected, while the Lakers look to extend their series lead to 2-0. An update on Reaves and Luka Doncic's (hamstring) status and potential return is expected in the coming days, but for now Los Angeles will continue to lean on Luke Kennard, who poured in 27 points in the Game 1 victory.
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Lakers' LeBron James: Drops 13 dimes in convincing win
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James ended with 19 points (9-15 FG, 1-2 3Pt, 0-2 FT), eight rebounds, 13 assists, one block and two steals in 38 minutes during Saturday's 107-98 win over the Rockets in Game 1 of the first round of the Western Conference playoffs.
James racked up eight assists before the end of the first quarter, fully embracing his role as a ball distributor. He had time to perform his own heroics as a scorer as well. He converted 60 percent of his shots in the contest and was only two rebounds shy of his fourth triple-double of the season. With Luka Doncic (hamstring) and Austin Reaves (oblique) absent, James is expected to keep turning back the clock, churning out solid totals as the Lakers try to sweep the Rockets.
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Lakers' Luke Kennard: Delivers 27 points in victory
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Kennard finished Saturday's 107-98 win over the Rockets in Game 1 of the first round of the Western Conference playoffs with 27 points (9-13 FG, 5-5 3Pt, 4-6 FT), four rebounds and three assists across 38 minutes.
Kennard has cemented himself as the primary beneficiary amidst the Lakers' injury woes. The team faced a bleary outlook coming into the series, considering Luka Doncic (hamstring) and Austin Reaves (oblique) are likely to miss the first-round series against the Rockets. Kennard has carried over his late-season heroics into the postseason and appears more than ready to continue the charge. He led all scorers in the game by a wide margin. If he can keep the stellar production going, the Lakers' chance of advancing will skyrocket.
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Lakers' Austin Reaves: Set to miss at least another week
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Reaves (oblique) is expected to miss at least one more week, per Khobi Price of The California Post.
Neither Reaves nor Luka Doncic (hamstring) will be re-evaluated this week, leaving both players in serious jeopardy of missing Los Angeles' first-round playoff series against the Rockets. LeBron James will have to do the heavy lifting offensively for the Lakers, and the likes of Marcus Smart, Jake LaRavia and Rui Hachimura will also be asked to step up.
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Lakers' Austin Reaves: Plays through back issue
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Reaves posted 15 points (5-9 FG, 2-3 3Pt, 3-3 FT), four rebounds and one assist in 27 minutes during Thursday's 139-96 loss to the Thunder.
Reaves picked up a back injury in this contest, which forced him to the locker room in the second quarter, but he was able to finish out the game. However, his minutes were held in check by the lopsided score. Luka Doncic tweaked his hamstring Thursday, and if he misses time, Reaves may be asked to shoulder a lot more usage.
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Lakers' Austin Reaves: Hits for 19 in Tuesday's win
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Reaves provided 19 points (6-16 FG, 2-9 3Pt, 5-5 FT), six rebounds, four assists, one block and two steals in 37 minutes during Tuesday's 127-113 victory over Cleveland.
The fifth-year guard delivered another solid performance as he put the finishing touches on a productive March. Over the last 13 games, Reaves averaged 23.4 points, 6.1 assists, 4.7 boards, 2.2 threes and 1.3 steals, supplanting LeBron James as the second option in the Lakers' offense behind Luka Doncic.
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Lakers' Austin Reaves: Flirts with double-double in win
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Reaves had 19 points (4-11 FG, 0-4 3Pt, 11-12 FT), three rebounds, nine assists and one steal over 27 minutes during Monday's 120-101 win over Washington.
With Luka Doncic (suspension) out, Reaves delivered a solid line, although he finished behind LeBron James' triple-double. Despite failing to realize his projected value in the shorthanded backcourt, Reaves has proved to be an invaluable asset in the team's red-hot results over the past two weeks. He's averaged 21.7 points, 5.9 assists, 4.4 rebounds and 1.3 steals in March.
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Lakers' Austin Reaves: Keeps rolling in win
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Reaves (hip) closed with 26 points (10-20 FG, 2-8 3Pt, 4-4 FT), seven rebounds, five assists, one block and two steals in 40 minutes during Saturday's 105-104 win over the Magic.
Reaves played through left hip soreness Saturday and appeared to be no worse for wear with a strong all-around performance. The star guard continues to return early-round fantasy value in all formats, averaging 23.9 points, 6.0 assists, 5.1 rebounds and 1.4 steals in a whopping 40.0 minutes per tilt in his last eight games.
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Lakers' Austin Reaves: Available to play Saturday
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Reaves (hip) is available for Saturday's game in Orlando, per Dan Woike of The Athletic.
Reaves popped up on the injury report because of left hip soreness. However, he'll avoid his first absence in over a month. The 27-year-old is averaging a career-high 23.5 points with 4.8 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 1.1 steals and 0.4 blocks. While Reaves hasn't been as potent on the scoring end of late as he was at the beginning of the season, he'll have a favorable opportunity to get things going Saturday against an Orlando squad that has struggled defensively at home since the All-Star break.
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Lakers' Austin Reaves: Iffy for Saturday
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Reaves is listed as questionable for Saturday's game against the Magic due to left hip soreness.
The hip issue is a new concern for Reaves, who hasn't missed a game since Feb. 10. If the 27-year-old guard is ultimately ruled out, Jake LaRavia, Rui Hachimura and Luke Kennard would be candidates to take on expanded roles.
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Lakers' Austin Reaves: Scores 18 points on 12 shots
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Reaves recorded 18 points (5-12 FG, 2-7 3Pt, 6-10 FT), five rebounds and four assists in 40 minutes during Thursday's 134-126 win over Miami.
Reaves got off to a slow start, scoring just six points on 2-of-6 shooting in the first half, but he came alive after the break to help the Lakers secure their eighth straight win. On the downside, he went an uncharacteristic 6-for-10 from the line and failed to record a defensive stat, but he'll look to clean that up Saturday in Orlando.
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Lakers' Austin Reaves: Scores 32 points in OT win
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Reaves closed with 32 points (12-21 FG, 3-8 3Pt, 5-6 FT), seven rebounds, six assists, one block and one steal across 46 minutes during Saturday's 127-125 overtime win over the Nuggets.
Luka Doncic stole the show with a 30-point triple-double, but Reaves led the Lakers in scoring with an impressive performance. The star guard has reached the 30-point mark in three games in a row, and he's firmly established as the Lakers' No. 2 option on offense ahead of LeBron James. He's averaging 21.1 points per game since the All-Star break.
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Lakers' Austin Reaves: Drops 30 in win over Chicago
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Reaves amassed 30 points (13-20 FG, 4-7 3Pt), five rebounds, seven assists and one steal in 39 minutes during Thursday's 142-130 victory over the Bulls.
The fifth-year guard hit for at least 25 points in a third straight game as he begins to find his form again. Over 12 games since returning to the Lakers' starting five following the All-Star break, Reaves is averaging 20.2 points, 4.3 assists, 4.2 boards, 2.3 threes and 1.3 steals while shooting 43.1 percent from beyond the arc.
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Lakers' Austin Reaves: Big game at both ends of court
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Reaves totaled 25 points (8-16 FG, 3-6 3Pt, 6-7 FT), four rebounds, five assists, one block and three steals in 39 minutes during Sunday's 110-97 victory over the Knicks.
It was Reaves' best scoring effort since Feb. 20, when he hit for 29 points against the Clippers, while the four combined steals and blocks tied his season high. Over 10 games since returning to the starting five following the All-Star break, the fifth-year guard is averaging 18.1 points, 3.8 boards, 3.7 assists, 2.0 threes, 1.5 steals and 0.8 blocks.
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Lakers' Austin Reaves: Modest production in win
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Reaves recorded 19 points (6-14 FG, 1-4 3Pt, 6-7 FT), two rebounds and five assists in 29 minutes before fouling out of Friday's 128-117 victory over the Pacers.
Even with LeBron James (elbow) sidelined, Reaves was unable to crack the 20-point threshold, which he's done only twice since Dec. 5. He's still putting up solid numbers, averaging 17.3 points, 3.8 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.3 steals across his past nine appearances (all starts). However, he hasn't been as prolific offensively as he was to start the season, as Luka Doncic is leading the way on most nights.
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Lakers' Austin Reaves: Back in starting lineup
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Reaves will start against the Clippers on Friday, Dan Woike of The Athletic reports.
Reaves has played in five of the Lakers' last six outings following a 19-game absence due to a strained right calf, and he'll finally be inserted back into the starting five Friday. It's unclear whether the 27-year-old guard will remain on a minutes restriction, though he has logged at least 28 in each of his last two outings.
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Lakers' Austin Reaves: Remaining on minutes limit
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Reaves will play 25-to-30 minutes Thursday night against the Mavericks, Law Murray of The Athletic reports.
Reaves logged 29 minutes in his previous appearance Monday against the Thunder before sitting out the second half of a back-to-back Tuesday. The Lakers are still monitoring the guard's minutes closely following his return from a calf injury, but he's continuing to inch closer toward a full workload.
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Lakers' Austin Reaves: Won't play Tuesday
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Reaves (left calf injury management) is out for Tuesday's game against San Antonio, Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times reports.
Reaves will miss the tail end of a back-to-back set for rest purposes. In addition to Reaves, Luka Doncic (hamstring), LeBron James (foot) and Marcus Smart (ankle) are out Tuesday, meaning Luke Kennard, Kobe Bufkin, Nick Smith and Dalton Knecht should see plenty of action. Reaves should be back in action Thursday against Dallas.
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Lakers' Austin Reaves: Returning to form
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Reaves finished with 16 points (5-10 FG, 0-2 3Pt, 6-7 FT), five rebounds, eight assists, one block and two steals across 24 minutes during Saturday's 105-99 victory over the Warriors.
Reaves came off the bench again, but that did not prevent him from having a very solid game. The game marked his second time recording two steals in the three games he's played since returning from a calf strain. The Lakers' next game Monday against the Thunder is the front end of a back-to-back, which may call for his current minutes restriction to stay in place.
