Los Angeles Lakers star guard Austin Reaves will miss at the very least the following 4 weeks after being recognized with a grade 2 left gastrocnemius (calf) pressure, ESPN reported on Friday. Reaves exited within the first half through the Lakers’ 119-96 loss to the Houston Rockets on Christmas Day and didn’t return.
“Austin clearly felt one thing,” Lakers coach JJ Redick mentioned postgame. “We did our regular halftime, after which as we had been strolling out of the locker room, [Lakers director of player performance and health] Dr. [LeRoy] Sims informed me he was out.”
Reaves completed the sport by scoring 12 factors on 5 of 8 taking pictures in quarter-hour of motion. With Reaves out of the lineup for the second half in opposition to Houston, veteran Marcus Sensible began in his place.
JJ Redick blasts Lakers after Christmas loss to Rockets: ‘We do not care sufficient proper now’
Brent Brookhouse
Reaves, 27, is within the midst of a profession yr with Los Angeles. The previous undrafted free agent out of Oklahoma is averaging 26.6 factors, 6.3 assists and 5.2 rebounds per recreation. Reaves scored a career-high 51 factors earlier this season in opposition to the Sacramento Kings and almost completed with a triple-double by including 11 rebounds and 9 assists.
Regardless of being the second-leading scorer on his personal staff — behind league-leading scorer Luka Dončić — Reaves has stuffed the void whereas different Lakers gamers have been out of the lineup. Notably, LeBron James missed the primary few weeks of the season on account of sciatica and did not make his season debut till Nov. 18 in opposition to the Utah Jazz.
Reaves harm comes amid the Lakers’ shedding streak
With the loss to the Rockets on Christmas, the Lakers dropped to 19-10. Los Angeles has misplaced three consecutive video games by double digits (Phoenix Suns, Los Angeles Clippers and Rockets). After the newest setback to Houston, Redick went on a protracted rant about the best way his staff has enjoying, saying that the Lakers “do not care sufficient proper now.”
“We do not care sufficient proper now,” Redick mentioned. “And that is the half that bothers you a large number. We do not care sufficient to do the issues which can be crucial. We do not care sufficient to be an expert.”
The Lakers started the 2025-26 marketing campaign 15-4. Since that sizzling begin, Los Angeles is 4-6 in its final 10 video games. The Lakers trailed by double digits your complete second half in opposition to Houston.
JJ Redick torched Lakers’ gamers after Christmas loss, however the actual blame lies with the GM who acquired them
Sam Quinn
“The 2 phrases of the day had been effort and execution,” Redick mentioned. “And I really feel like after we’ve achieved each of these issues at a excessive stage, we have been basketball staff. After we have not, we’re a horrible basketball staff. And tonight we had been a horrible basketball staff. And that began legitimately immediately.”
The four-week timeline for Reaves would seemingly end in him lacking a majority of January. The Lakers face the Kings on Sunday and the Pistons on Tuesday earlier than the calendar flips to 2026.
