LOS ANGELES — During the game on Friday night against the Los Angeles Clippers, the Los Angeles Lakers saw guard Austin Reaves exit due to soreness in his right calf. This occurred after Reaves had participated for nine minutes, contributing six points before he made his way to the locker room late in the first quarter. Following this, in the second quarter, a team announcement was made confirming Reaves would not be returning to the game.
This development left the Lakers shorthanded, missing two key starters for their clash with the Clippers. Earlier, Rui Hachimura was ruled out after straining his left knee in a game against Minnesota on Thursday. Despite the setback, Coach JJ Redick expressed optimism regarding Hachimura’s condition, suggesting it’s not believed to be a severe injury.
Reaves, prior to his injury in this match, has been showcasing solid performance averages of 19.3 points, 6.1 assists, and 4.3 rebounds over 53 starts for the Lakers. The team had been on a roll, securing four consecutive victories and triumphing in 10 of their last 12 games, leading into this challenging back-to-back series at home against the Timberwolves and the Clippers.
On a positive note for the Lakers, both LeBron James and Luka Doncic managed to participate in both games of this demanding schedule, playing through concerns over lingering injuries.
