Lakers' Austin Reaves: Off injury report for Thursday
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Reaves (calf) isn't listed on the injury report for Thursday's game against the Mavericks.
Reaves sat out Tuesday's loss to San Antonio -- the second leg of a back-to-back set -- due to injury management. However, he's set to return to action Thursday. Over four February appearances following a 19-game absence due to a calf strain, Reaves has averaged 20.5 points, 4.5 assists, 4.3 rebounds and 1.3 steals in 24.8 minutes per game off the bench. It's unclear if he'll remain on a minutes restriction Thursday, though he logged 29 his last time out.
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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.
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Lakers' Austin Reaves: Still on restriction
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Reaves will be on a minutes restriction Thursday night against the 76ers, Daniel Starkand of LakersNation.com reports.
Reaves logged 21 minutes in his return Tuesday, marking his first game action since Dec. 25. He'll presumably be kept around the same range Thursday while he continues to build his conditioning back up.
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Lakers' Austin Reaves: Set for Tuesday return
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Reaves (calf) will play Tuesday against the Nets, Khobi Price of The Orange County Register reports.
Reaves will be deployed off the bench in his first game since suffering a calf injury Dec. 25, per Price. The team has also stated that he'll be on a minutes restriction. Expect LA to play it safe with Reaves in his first few games back considering his lengthy absence from game action.
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Lakers' Austin Reaves: Questionable for Tuesday
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Reaves (calf) is questionable for Tuesday's game versus Brooklyn.
Reaves hasn't played since Dec. 25 after straining his left calf, but Lakers head coach JJ Redick said after Sunday's 112-100 loss to the Knicks that he was hopeful to have the guard back in the lineup soon. It sounds like the guard could ultimately be a game-time call for this contest, and if he's cleared, Reaves will likely face restrictions.
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Lakers' Austin Reaves: Won't play Sunday
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Reaves (calf) has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Knicks, Dan Woike of The Athletic reports.
Reaves was considered a possibility to return Sunday but will ultimately miss his 19th straight game due to a left calf strain. In his continued absence, Jake LaRavia, Marcus Smart and Gabe Vincent should keep seeing expanded opportunities. Reaves' next chance to suit up will come Tuesday against the Nets.
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Lakers' Austin Reaves: Ruled out Friday
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Reaves (calf) has been ruled out for Friday's game against the Wizards, Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com reports.
Reaves hasn't played since Dec. 25 due to a left calf strain, but he's progressing in his recovery and is seemingly nearing a return to action after initially being listed as questionable for Friday's matchup. His next opportunity to play will come Sunday against the Knicks. Until Reaves is cleared to play, Jake LaRavia, Marcus Smart and Gabe Vincent will likely continue to see increased minutes.
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Lakers' Austin Reaves: Questionable for Friday
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Reaves is questionable for Friday's game against the Wizards with a left calf strain, Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times reports.
The questionable tag is an encouraging sign, giving Reaves a chance to suit up for the first time since Dec. 25. If the star guard is finally ready to return to action, Marcus Smart's fantasy value could take a considerable hit. Fewer minutes would be open to Jarred Vanderbilt as well.
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Lakers' Austin Reaves: Won't play Wednesday
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Reaves (calf) has been ruled out for Wednesday's game against the Cavaliers.
Reaves has been cleared for full-contact work at practice and is expected to return during the Lakers' current road trip. However, he'll remain sidelined Wednesday. With the 27-year-old guard unavailable, Gabe Vincent, Jake LaRavia and Marcus Smart are candidates for increased playing time. Reaves' next opportunity to return will come Friday against the Wizards.
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Lakers' Austin Reaves: Won't return Monday
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Reaves (calf) has been ruled out for Monday's game against the Bulls.
Reaves has progressed enough in his recovery from a left calf strain to engage in full-contact work in practice. He's not quite ready to return to the Lakers' lineup, and his next opportunity to do so is Wednesday against the Cavaliers.
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Lakers' Austin Reaves: Goes through full-contact work
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Lakers head coach JJ Redick said that Reaves took part in a scrimmage Saturday and that Reaves should be able to return "sooner than later," Dan Woike of The Athletic reports.
Redick said he wants Reaves to get through at least one more full-contact practice before he's cleared, but the fifth-year guard looks as though he'll be back in action at some point during the Lakers' ongoing road trip. Reaves' next chance to play will come Monday in Chicago.
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Lakers' Austin Reaves: Ruled out Thursday
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Reaves (calf) is out for Thursday's game against the Clippers, Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com reports.
Reaves is getting closer to a return, as head coach JJ Redick previously noted that Reaves would be back before the Lakers' road trip ended Feb. 3. However, the standout wing won't be making his return to the hardwood Thursday night. His absence has opened up more opportunities for Jake LaRavia and Marcus Smart. Reaves' next chance to play will come Saturday at Dallas.
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Lakers' Austin Reaves: Diagnosed with calf strain
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Reaves has been diagnosed with a Grade 2 left gastrocnemius strain and will be re-evaluated in approximately four weeks, Dan Woike of The Athletic reports.
Reaves exited Thursday's loss to the Rockets with the calf injury, and the diagnosis confirmed the star guard will be sidelined for an extended period. The loss of Reaves means Marcus Smart, Dalton Knecht, Nick Smith and potentially Bronny James could be in line for more minutes in the Lakers' backcourt. Reaves is averaging a career-high 26.2 points per game, so his absence will be a huge blow for the Lakers, as they'll have to rely even more on Luka Doncic and LeBron James to carry the team offensively.
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Lakers' Austin Reaves: Hits for 17 in return
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Reaves recorded 17 points (6-11 FG, 1-5 3Pt, 4-5 FT), two rebounds and two assists across 22 minutes off the bench during Tuesday's 132-108 loss to Phoenix.
Returning from a three-game absence due to a calf strain, Reaves was eased in as part of the second unit and was the only bench player for the Lakers to score in double digits. The fifth-year guard has scored 10-plus points in all 22 of his appearances this season, averaging 27.3 points, 6.5 assists, 5.4 boards, 2.7 threes and 1.0 steals in 36.2 minutes.
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Lakers' Austin Reaves: Will play Tuesday
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Reaves (calf) will play in Tuesday's game against the Suns, Khobi Price of The Orange County Register reports.
Reaves is ready to end a three-game absence with a left calf strain. Given that he missed just over a week of action, the star guard may face any significant restrictions Tuesday. Reaves has averaged 26.1 points, 5.8 rebounds, 5.4 assists and 0.9 steals in 36.5 minutes per contest over his last 14 games.
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Lakers' Austin Reaves: Won't play Saturday
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Reaves (calf) has been ruled out for Saturday's game against the Clippers, Dan Woike of The Athletic reports.
Reaves is still working through a Grade 1 left calf strain, and Saturday will mark the third straight game he'll miss due to his injury. Marcus Smart will likely remain in the Lakers' starting lineup for as long as Reaves is sidelined. Reaves' next opportunity to return is Tuesday against the Suns.
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Lakers' Austin Reaves: To be re-evaluated in one week
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Reaves has been diagnosed with a Grade 1 left calf strain and will be re-evaluated in approximately one week, Dan Woike of The Athletic reports Friday.
It's unclear when Reaves picked up the calf injury, though he'll miss at least the next week because of it. With the 27-year-old guard sidelined, Marcus Smart, Jake LaRavia and Gabe Vincent are likely to see increased playing time, while Nick Smith and Bronny James are candidates to enter the rotation. Reaves has appeared in 21 regular-season games thus far, averaging career highs in points (27.8), assists (6.7) and rebounds (5.6) across 36.9 minutes per contest.
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Lakers' Austin Reaves: Full stat line in loss
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Reaves registered 15 points (6-16 FG, 2-6 3Pt, 1-1 FT), eight rebounds, seven assists and one block in 40 minutes during Wednesday's 132-119 loss to San Antonio.
Reaves has slowed down offensively, scoring just 26 combined points while shooting 9-for-32 from the field in his last two games after dropping a combined 80 points against the Raptors and Celtics in the two games prior. While the downward trend in usage can be attributed to the respective returns of LeBron James and Luka Doncic, Reaves has to improve his efficiency from the field if the team wants to succeed.
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Lakers' Austin Reaves: Overcomes slow start in loss
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Reaves finished Friday's 126-105 loss to the Celtics with 36 points (9-18 FG, 3-8 3Pt, 15-17 FT), eight assists and three rebounds over 33 minutes.
Reaves was the No. 1 option for the Lakers on Friday due to the absences of LeBron James (sciatica/foot) and Luka Doncic (personal). Reaves struggled out of the gate with an 0-for-5 first quarter, no doubt feeling the fatigue from Thursday's win over the Raptors, when he dropped 44 points in 41 minutes. Reaves bounced back and poured in 24 second-half points while doing most of his damage from the charity stripe, but the Lakers' halftime deficit was too big to overcome. The rising star has scored at least 33 points in five of his last six games, and over that span he has averaged 33.0 points on 61.9 percent shooting, 5.8 assists, 5.7 rebounds, 3.8 threes and 0.7 steals over 37.2 minutes per game.
