As the Los Angeles Lakers battled against the Houston Rockets for their Christmas Day game, the Lakers lost their star guard, Austin Reaves, early on.
The veteran clocked in for 15 minutes in the first half. He shot efficiently during that time, going 5-8 from the field, knocking down two of his five attempts from beyond the arc.
Reaves left the court with 12 points, one rebound, one assist, and one block.
As the Lakers worked on coming back against the Rockets in the second half, they ruled out Reaves for the remainder of the game. According to Chris Haynes, Reaves is dealing with left calf soreness.
A calf strain has been a lingering issue for Reaves lately. Earlier this week, the Lakers matched up against the Phoenix Suns, and they started with Reaves on the injury report. However, he was cleared for action.
The Suns game was Reaves’ first action since December 10. After he suffered his setback against the San Antonio Spurs earlier this month, the Lakers held him out for three games in a row.
When Reaves faced the Suns two days before the Christmas Day game, he came off the bench for just 21 minutes of action. Reaves still played a major role by producing 17 points, two rebounds, and two assists. Unfortunately, he couldn’t be a difference-maker. The Lakers dropped their second game in a row with a 132-108 loss.
If the Lakers can’t overcome Reaves’ absence and fall short against the Rockets, they’ll drop to 19-10 on the year. Heading into Thursday’s game, the Lakers placed fourth in the Western Conference. They trailed the Denver Nuggets, San Antonio Spurs, and the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The next time the Lakers take the court will be on December 28. Reaves’ availability for the matchup against the Sacramento Kings will be something to keep an eye on.
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