Lakers holding their breath as Austin Reaves heads for MRI after leaving Friday’s 106-102 win over Clippers with calf injury. According to Dave McMenamin of ESPN, Reaves had calf soreness and played just 9 minutes before being held out for precautionary reasons.
Reaves was effective in his limited time, hitting 2 threes and scoring 6 points with 1 block. But his early exit has him uncertain for the future.
What Happened to Austin Reaves?
Reaves played 9 minutes before leaving with calf soreness. Coach JJ Redick confirmed the injury saying Reaves was held out for precautionary reasons. He scored 6 points, 2 threes and 1 block in his short time on the court.
This is not the best time for Reaves to get hurt. He’s been playing great lately. In February he averaged 22.0 points, 5.6 assists and 45.1% FG over 12 games. He was on a 4 game streak of scoring 20+ points.
How Bad Is the Injury?
Reaves is getting an MRI so it’s unknown how bad the calf injury is. But the fact he’s getting one at all is concerning. The Lakers are already dealing with injuries to other players and can’t afford to lose Reaves for any amount of time.
Forward Rui Hachimura is out indefinitely with patellar tendinopathy in his left knee and will be re-evaluated in a week. With Hachimura out and Reaves possibly joining him, the bench will have to step up.
Who Filled In for Reaves?
In Reaves’ absence, Gabe Vincent played 26 minutes off the bench, Jordan Goodwin 21 and rookie Dalton Knecht 18. If Reaves misses time, these guys will get more minutes.
LeBron and Luka carried the Lakers to the win. Luka had a game high 31 points and LeBron had a double double with 28 points and 13 rebounds.
Next Up for the Lakers
Lakers have a day off before they play the Clippers again Sunday at 9:30 pm ET. Fans will be waiting to hear the results of Reaves’ MRI and hoping for good news.
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