Lakers' Austin Reaves suffers Grade 2 oblique strain, out for remainder of season, at least
NBC Sports • • sports
Key Points:
- Luka Doncic suffered a Grade 2 hamstring strain early in the second half against the Thunder, ruling him out for the start of the regular season and likely the playoffs.
- Austin Reaves has been diagnosed with a Grade 2 oblique strain and will miss the remainder of the regular season, with an expected recovery time of 4-6 weeks, potentially sidelining him for the first two rounds of the playoffs.
- Reaves, the Lakers’ second-leading scorer averaging 23.3 points and 5.5 assists per game, is a crucial offensive player and an unrestricted free agent expected to re-sign with the team.
- With both Doncic and Reaves out, 41-year-old LeBron James will become the primary scorer and playmaker for the Lakers, a role he previously held but with less consistency.
- The Lakers currently hold the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference but face the risk of dropping in the standings and facing tougher playoff matchups if they struggle in the final week of the regular season.
