As the Lakers head to Houston for their next (and possibly final) two games of the series, they might come out with a little extra fervor knowing that one of their treasured star guards is nearing his return.
Ahead of Game 3 on Friday (LA up 2-0), both the Lakers and the Rockets released their updated injury reports, featuring major updates for some big names with massive implications. The most important news comes from the Lakers’ side, and it involves their star guard, Austin Reaves (left oblique strain), who has been upgraded to questionable. It marks the first time since April 2 that his status has changed, and his return could be devastating for the Rockets.
In 51 games in the regular season, Reaves averaged 23.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 1.1 steals, and 0.4 blocks per game on 49.0% shooting and 36.0% shooting from three. He was the Lakers’ second-leading scorer and key member of their offense, alongside Luka Doncic. After going down earlier this month, Reaves wasn’t expected back until the second round, but it seems that a speedy recovery has made it possible to play as early as tomorrow, just over three weeks after his injury.
Sadly, Doncic (left hamstring strain) hasn’t been so lucky, as he has already been ruled out for tomorrow’s contest. His injury occurred in the same game as Austin’s, and he was given a similar recovery timeline of 3-6 weeks. He sought treatment in Europe in an effort to expedite the healing process, but he clearly needs more time before he’s ready for action.
For the Rockets, Kevin Durant is listed as questionable, while Steven Adams (left ankle surgery) and Fred VanVleet (ACL) are marked as out. What stands out here is not Durant’s status, but rather his injury: a left ankle sprain. In the first two games, Durant’s injury was listed as a knee issue, which suggests it was either initially misdiagnosed or that he is currently dealing with another setback on top of his earlier knee problem.
Either way, it only helps stack the deck further in the Lakers’ favor. After winning their first two games by a combined 16 points, Los Angeles has all the momentum going on the road. Thanks to JJ Redick’s defensive game plan and key contributions from role players like Marcus Smart and Luke Kennard, the Lakers have managed to do more than just stay alive in the postseason. So far, in the first two games, they’ve been thriving with seamless chemistry, perfect execution, and a relentless drive that has the Rockets scrambling for answers.
Regardless of who plays tomorrow, it’s a must-win game for the Rockets, who are facing a potential 0-3 series deficit. They lost the first two games, despite being favored, and now they’ll have to start worrying about Austin Reaves on top of everything else. In a series that many wrote off from the start, this isn’t how anybody saw it going for Houston.
For the Lakers, it only makes you wonder how far they can go at full strength. If the role players can show up like this with Reaves and Doncic back in the lineup, it could make them virtually unbeatable in the battles to come. Still, there’s a lot of work ahead for the Lake Show, and they will not risk the players’ long-term durability to maximize their chances now.
