The Los Angeles Lakers have been without both of their star guards Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves for the first four games of their series against the Houston Rockets, but reinforcements appear to be on the way.
While Doncic still has a few hurdles to cross before returning, there is optimism that Reaves will be back in the lineup for Game 5 on Wednesday, per Shams Charania of ESPN:
Los Angeles Lakers star Austin Reaves is optimistic to return to action in Game 5 against the Houston Rockets on Wednesday night after missing about four weeks with a Grade 2 oblique strain, sources tell ESPN. Reaves will be a game-time decision for the third consecutive contest. pic.twitter.com/gT6nYaEPY1
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 28, 2026
Reaves was listed as questionable for both Games 3 and 4 and warmed up pregame before ultimately being ruled out. While the organization was being cautious, that would signal that he is close to returning, and it seems he will go through the same process in Game 5 with the intention of playing.
The Lakers have another opportunity to close out the Rockets on Wednesday, this time on their home floor. They went for the sweep in Game 4 but the Rockets offense came alive while the Lakers struggled, so getting Reaves back in the lineup would be a huge boost.
If Reaves is able to return then he likely would be on some sort of minutes restriction and come off the bench to not disrupt the team’s rhythm. Whatever he can give the Lakers is greatly needed though, so his status will certainly be worth monitoring leading up to Game 5 at Crypto.com Arena.
JJ Redick discusses areas Lakers have missed Austin Reaves & Luka Doncic
Playing without your two leading scorers and ball-handlers obviously comes with some challenges, and JJ Redick discussed the areas the Lakers have missed Reaves and Doncic most.
“I think that’s the biggest challenge we have, just ball-handling and downhill drivers, not having those guys,” the head coach said.
He added: “It’s obviously very challenging without your two leading scorers to generate offense. We’ll take a look at the process again on that end as well and I know our points per shot and our expected points per shot were slightly below our season average. For me, it goes back to our keys of take care of the ball and we’ll look at how we can be better from there.”
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