Austin Reaves Injury Update
Austin Reaves is dealing with left calf soreness again after the Christmas Day game against the Rockets. He was ruled out at halftime and did not play in the second half after feeling discomfort in the same calf that kept him out earlier in December.
He had only just come back from a mild left calf strain that cost him three straight games earlier this month.
In his first game back on December 23 against the Suns he came off the bench and played limited minutes as the team tried to be careful with his workload.
Against Houston he started and looked fine in the first half with 12 points on efficient shooting before the team shut him down for the night.
Marcus Smart opened the third quarter in his place and the Lakers confirmed he would not return due to left calf soreness.
The Lakers have said he will undergo further evaluation including imaging to check the calf and rule out a more serious setback. For now his status for the next game on December 28 against the Kings is uncertain and will likely depend on how that calf responds over the next couple of days.
Team reports describe the issue as soreness rather than a new severe strain which suggests the medical staff is being extra cautious because calf problems can worsen if a player keeps pushing through pain.
Coaches have already been managing his minutes and that is expected to continue whenever he is cleared again.
Even with this setback Reaves is having the best scoring season of his career with about 27 points 5 rebounds and 6 assists per game on strong efficiency.
Because he is such a central part of the offense the Lakers are treating this as a priority health issue rather than forcing him back quickly just to win one or two regular season games.
Disclaimer
This report is based on official team updates, game reports, and publicly available information as of December 26. Injury statuses can change rapidly depending on medical evaluations and recovery progress. Always rely on official team announcements and NBA injury reports for the most current and accurate details.
