The Los Angeles Lakers will face off against the Los Angeles Clippers for the second time in three days on Sunday, and the team has released its injury report for the rematch.
Luka Doncic and LeBron James have been listed as questionable due to left calf and left foot injury management, respectively. Doncic and James had an identical status for Friday’s 106-102 win over the Clippers, and you’d expect the stars to suit up on Sunday as well.
As for Austin Reaves, he is a lot less likely to play over the weekend. The Lakers have listed the 26-year-old as doubtful due to a right calf strain after he exited that win against the Clippers in the first quarter.
Jordan Goodwin also exited that game with an injury, as he rolled his ankle in the closing stages. Goodwin has been listed as doubtful with a right ankle sprain, and don’t expect him to take part in the rematch either.
Two men who certainly won’t be playing on Sunday are Rui Hachimura and Maxi Kleber. Both have been listed out, with Hachimura suffering from left patellar tendinopathy, while Kleber is recovering from right foot surgery.
Hachimura will be re-evaluated in a week, but the Lakers are optimistic he won’t be missing too much time. The same applies to Reaves as well.
There were fears that Reaves could be out for a while as he didn’t re-enter that game against the Clippers, but the results of his MRI delivered positive news. NBA insider Shams Charania reported that the guard has avoided serious injury and isn’t expected to miss too much time.
“Lakers guard Austin Reaves will be day-to-day after MRI on his right calf revealed no serious injury, sources tell ESPN. His status is uncertain for Sunday against the Clippers, but great development overall after Reaves exited early in Friday’s win.”
Reaves, who is averaging 19.1 points, 4.2 rebounds, 6.0 assists, 1.1 steals, and 0.3 blocks per game in 2024-25, not suffering a significant injury is great news, but Dr. Evan Jeffries, DPT, still expects him to miss some time. Jeffries reckons he will be sidelined for a couple of days and maybe even a week as a precaution.
The Lakers certainly don’t need to rush Reaves, and we have seen them being cautious in the past, so he could well miss a couple of games. He had previously missed five games in December due to a left pelvic contusion, and this absence isn’t likely to be as long as that one.
Despite facing some adversity in the form of injuries of late, the Lakers have been rolling. The win over the Clippers was their fifth in a row, and they now have a 37-21 record this season.
Thank you for being a valued reader of Fadeaway World. If you liked this article, please consider following us on Google News. We really appreciate your support.
