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Dave McMenamin
Multiple Authors
DALLAS — The Los Angeles Lakers revealed Saturday that Austin Reaves has been diagnosed with a Grade 2 left oblique muscle injury, which will sideline him for the remainder of the regular season. This news comes as the team is already struggling with the indefinite absence of Luka Doncic due to a left hamstring strain diagnosis.
Although the team did not provide a specific return timeline, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported, citing sources, that Reaves is anticipated to miss four to six weeks.
Reaves underwent an MRI on his oblique/rib area earlier on Saturday. He had initially been listed as questionable for Sunday’s game against the Dallas Mavericks.
Marcus Smart was declared out against the Mavericks on Saturday, marking his seventh consecutive game missed. Jarred Vanderbilt was also added to the injury report, listed as questionable due to right calf soreness.
Earlier on Saturday, coach JJ Redick stated that despite being short-handed, the Lakers’ determination remains robust.
“Our mission remains unaltered,” Redick affirmed. “The rest of the players and my staff are aiming for the 3-seed, and we intend to win a playoff series. We will monitor Luka’s situation.”
With five games left, Los Angeles (50-27) maintains a half-game advantage over the No. 4 Denver Nuggets, a two-game lead over the No. 5 Houston Rockets, and a four-game cushion over the No. 6 Minnesota Timberwolves. The Lakers possess the tiebreaker against all three rivals, having secured the season series against each.
On Friday, the Lakers announced Doncic’s diagnosis of a Grade 2 left hamstring strain, an injury generally requiring about a month for recovery. Beyond his absence for the remainder of the regular season, the Lakers have not given a specific timeline for his return. The NBA playoffs’ first round is set to commence in two weeks.
During the first half of Thursday’s 139-96 defeat to the Oklahoma City Thunder, Reaves sustained an injury to his left side. He briefly left for evaluation but subsequently re-entered the contest, concluding with a team-best 15 points across 27 minutes.
“I reached for a rebound, stretched a bit too far, and sensed something,” Reaves elaborated after the game. “However, I feel fairly good currently, so we’ll observe.”
Reaves needed two MRI scans for his injury because the initial one examined an incorrect area of his body.
“I’m unsure of the protocols at Dallas imaging, but they scanned the incorrect region,” Redick commented. “It wasn’t an error on our part.”
Given the absences of Doncic and Reaves, Redick indicated that Los Angeles plans to distribute the offensive load among several players, naming LeBron James, Luke Kennard, Rui Hachimura, and Deandre Ayton.
“It presents a challenge for us,” James remarked after practice. “We always need a ‘next-man-up’ approach. Yet, that kind of impact is irreplaceable. Therefore, it will require a collective effort. We must all find ways to contribute a bit more. … Moreover, we now need to be even more precise in our actions. When you lose such a special player, you cannot afford as many errors. So, we need to address that.”
During the Lakers’ recent successful run, James had become the team’s third offensive option, with Doncic and Reaves handling the primary playmaking responsibilities. Across his last seven outings, James recorded averages of 15.6 points on 46.3% shooting (including 25.0% from beyond the arc), 7.3 rebounds, and 7.3 assists. His average of 11.7 field goal attempts per game during that period was considerably lower than his career average of 18.6.
When questioned about his mental preparation for the upcoming challenge, James responded, “One must adjust their mentality somewhat when their role shifts, or depending on what the team requires from you. So, the mindset definitely changes a bit.”
Redick indicated his intention to temporarily broaden the rotation, potentially increasing from nine to eleven players. He also noted that Kobe Bufkin, Nick Smith Jr., and Dalton Knecht would link up with the team in Dallas after their involvement in the G League playoffs with the South Bay Lakers.
“It’s all hands on deck,” Redick declared.
Following their Sunday game against the Mavericks, the Lakers are scheduled for three consecutive matchups against Western Conference playoff contenders: Oklahoma City on Tuesday, the Golden State Warriors on Thursday, and the Phoenix Suns on Friday. Their season will then conclude next Sunday at home against the Utah Jazz.
James commented on Dallas, saying, “This team plays with exceptional effort. … They just came off a tough battle against Orlando. We know we’re facing OKC, Golden State, who is still competing, and Phoenix, also still fighting. So, it will remain challenging for us. We need to be prepared for that.”
Following the announcement of Reaves’ injury, DraftKings adjusted the Lakers’ odds to 120-1 for winning the NBA Finals and 80-1 for securing the Western Conference title. Prior to Friday, the Lakers’ odds were 30-1 for the championship and 15-1 for the conference, but Doncic’s injury news had already caused them to drop to 100-1 and 60-1, respectively.
Doug Greenberg of ESPN contributed to this report.