Ahead of a showdown at the FedEx Forum tonight, the Los Angeles Lakers got some good news on the availability of a key contributor. Hours before tip-off, the Lakers revealed guard Austin Reaves (who was previously listed as probable) will be in action tonight against the Memphis Grizzlies.
“The Lakers say Austin Reaves (right ankle sprain) has been upgraded to available for tonight’s game at Memphis,” wrote Lakers insider Jovan Buha.
Reaves, 26, was listed as day-to-day after tweaking his ankle against the Chicago Bulls. Austin finished with a team-high 30 points (58.8% shooting) and three assists, but he was also playing through an injured ankle, and many fans worry it will linger.
In the post-game press conference, Reaves played down the injury and vowed to be there for his teammates however he could. Fortunately, Reaves must be experiencing no pain in the area, which is why he’s been cleared to play tonight.
After a heartbreaking loss to the Bulls (that involved a meltdown down the stretch), the Lakers need all the help they can get right now, and having Reaves healthy and available will be key to their success.
With averages of 19.9 points (career-high), 4.4 rebounds, and 5.9 assists per game this season, Austin has emerged as an essential player for the Lakers, and his scoring in the backcourt has kept them afloat through Luka’s transition.
As the third option and the steady hand behind LeBron and Luka, the Lakers know how important Austin Reaves is, and it’s why they are committed to paying him $41.6 million over the next three years.
With a healthy roster tonight (except for big man Maxi Kleber), the Lakers will have no excuses to get the win in Memphis tonight against a Grizzlies team that’s fresh off firing their longtime coach. It helps that the competition may be without their top player in the game.
Ja Morant Is A Game-Time Decision
The Grizzlies are struggling right now (5-5 in their last 10 games), but they are in a tight race with the Lakers for that fourth seed. If the Grizzlies win tonight, they’ll move up in the standings and settle some of the panic surrounding their coaching change.
The bad news is, Ja Morant has yet to be cleared for action. He’s a game-time decision tonight as he deals with a nagging hamstring injury.
“Ja Morant is a game-time decision tonight vs. the Lakers, per Grizzlies interim coach Tuomas Iisalo,” wrote Buha on X.
Morant hasn’t been himself recently after an up-and-down season, but he’s still putting up good numbers for the Grizzlies with 22.3 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 7.4 assists per game on 44.9% shooting.
Since players always seem to miraculously get healthy against LA, many fans believe Morant will play, but it’ll be a huge break for the Lakers if he doesn’t. When he’s playing and at his best, the Grizzlies become tough to beat, but they haven’t done so well without him.
Only time will tell if Morant plays tonight, but it’ll be an intense showdown nonetheless. These two teams have met in the playoffs before, and things got downright ugly by the end of the series.
The Lakers will have another chance to ut the Grizzlies in their place tonight, but it won’t be easy to beat such a talented team eager for revenge. Whether Ja is there or not, the Lakers feel good about their chances, and they know that having Austin Reaves gives them a chance to beat any team on any given night.
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