The Los Angeles Lakers face mounting injury concerns as star guard Austin Reaves is scheduled for an MRI examination on Saturday to evaluate his midsection, according to multiple reports.
Reaves sustained the rib and oblique injury during Thursday’s defeat against the Oklahoma City Thunder. The same contest also saw fellow star guard Luka Doncic suffer a left hamstring injury that will likely sideline him for the remaining five regular season games.
“I went back to get a rebound, overextended a little bit and I felt something,” Reaves explained following the Thunder defeat.
While Doncic has been ruled out for Sunday’s road matchup against the Dallas Mavericks, Reaves’ availability remains uncertain. The Lakers may also be without guard Marcus Smart due to an ankle issue.
Los Angeles had entered the Oklahoma City game with momentum and optimism about their playoff chances, having won 13 of their last 14 contests to climb to third place in the Western Conference standings. However, the Thunder matchup proved damaging beyond just the 139-96 defeat.
The 27-year-old Reaves has posted career-high numbers this season, averaging 23.3 points along with 4.7 rebounds and 5.5 assists across 51 games with 45 starts. He previously missed 19 straight games this season due to a calf problem.
Throughout his five-year career, all spent with the Lakers, Reaves has compiled averages of 15.8 points, 3.9 rebounds and 4.5 assists over 331 games with 216 starts.
Doncic currently tops the NBA in scoring with 33.5 points per game while also contributing 8.3 assists and 7.7 rebounds. He recently earned Western Conference Player of the Month honors for March, during which he averaged 37.5 points, 8.0 rebounds, 7.4 assists and 2.3 steals.
