Will Los Angeles Star Austin Reaves Play In Game 3 Against Houston Rockets?
The Los Angeles Lakers are currently sitting pretty with a 2-0 lead over the Houston Rockets in the NBA Playoffs. But if you thought the vibes inside Crypto.com Arena couldn’t get any better, you might want to brace yourself. A familiar face is gearing up to make a return. Austin Reaves is looking to suit up sooner rather than later.
When Reaves went down clutching his side against the Oklahoma City Thunder back on April 2, the collective groan from the Lakers’ fanbase could be heard all the way to Santa Monica. The diagnosis was a Grade 2 left oblique muscle strain. Trying to play high-level playoff basketball? Forget about it. The medical staff slapped a realistic four-to-six-week recovery timeline on him, effectively ruling him out for the entire first round. But Reaves apparently missed that memo.
Austin Reaves Injury Update: A Wolverine-Like Recovery
According to the latest buzz from NBA insiders, including ESPN’s Shams Charania, Reaves is pushing incredibly hard to suit up for Game 3 this Friday night. If his body doesn’t quite let him cross the finish line for Friday, he has his eyes locked dead on Game 4 this Sunday.
Let’s put this into perspective. We are barely three weeks removed from an injury that was supposed to keep him sidelined well into May. He has already progressed to 3-on-3 on-court work without suffering a single setback. On Thursday, the Lakers officially bumped his status up to “questionable” on the league’s injury report. It is the very first time he has seen an upgrade since the regular season, and the emotional lift this provides to a team already riding high on playoff adrenaline is massive.
Will Reaves Play In Game 3 Against the Rockets?
So, will Reaves actually take the floor? He is officially listed as questionable, which in playoff speak usually translates to, “I’m going to try it in warmups, and if nothing tears, I’m playing.”
The Lakers had originally operated under the bleak assumption that neither Reaves nor Luka Doncic would be walking through that door during the first round. While Doncic remains firmly ruled out for Game 3, Austin is knocking loudly on that door.
You simply cannot overstate what getting Reaves back means for this Los Angeles rotation. Before his abdominal muscles decided to betray him, Reaves was having an absolute stellar campaign. He averaged a blistering 23.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 5.5 assists per game this season. He provides a critical offensive engine, secondary playmaking, and a distinct swagger that this team feeds off of.
What This Means For the Lakers Moving Forward
If Reaves can return to the lineup and provide even a fraction of his usual production, the Rockets are in serious trouble. Houston is already struggling to climb out of a 2-0 hole. Throwing a hungry, fully motivated Reaves into the mix might just be the knockout punch Los Angeles needs to secure a sweep or a gentleman’s five-game series win.
We will all be watching the pregame shootaround very closely. If you see Reaves knocking down jumpers and smiling, it might be time to start preparing for a second-round matchup.
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