Austin Reaves
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Austin Reaves of the Los Angeles Lakers have struggled in their last 2 games.
Just as the Los Angeles Lakers were finally beginning to enjoy a clean bill of health, injury concerns resurfaced yet again.
On Thursday night, Los Angeles edged the Philadelphia 76ers 119-115, snapping Philadelphia’s five-game winning streak in the Lakers’ first game back from an eight-game road trip.
It was a much-needed home win, but one that came with a worrying subplot.
Austin Reaves delivered a stunning performance, pouring in 35 points in just 25 minutes in only his second game back after missing 19 contests with a calf injury suffered in late December.
His return has been one of the few recent positives for a roster that has struggled to stay intact.
That optimism was quickly tempered when Luka Doncic exited the game late in the first quarter with an apparent injury and did not return.
Lakers Dealt Fresh Concern as Doncic Exits Early
Doncic finished with 10 points, four rebounds, two assists, and five turnovers in just 16 minutes before heading to the locker room. He showed visible frustration as he left the floor and never re-emerged after the break.
It marked just the 10th game this season that Doncic, Reaves, and LeBron James have all shared the floor together, a reflection of how stop-start the Lakers’ campaign has been.
“Hopefully nothing major,” Reaves told reporters postgame. “We need him. He’s our best player and the engine in a lot of the stuff we do. Hopefully we get good news tomorrow, and I wish him nothing but the best.”
The injury lands at an awkward moment for Doncic, whose durability has quietly become a growing talking point.
The Lakers superstar has admitted to playing through groin soreness that has gradually intensified over recent weeks, raising concern about the cumulative toll of the season.
Despite leading the NBA in scoring at 32.8 points per game, Doncic also ranks eighth league-wide in minutes played at 35.5 per night, a workload that inevitably sharpens the focus on his health.
Los Angeles has already had to manage several injury interruptions involving Doncic this season, including a left finger sprain, a lower left leg contusion, and a recurring leg issue that resurfaced in December.
Each setback forced him to miss time, totaling eight games already this season.
Lakers Awaiting Clarity as Imaging Scheduled
Following the win, head coach JJ Redick confirmed that Doncic will undergo an MRI on his left hamstring on Friday to determine the severity of the issue.
“Yeah, he felt some soreness in his hamstring, so he didn’t feel like it was good enough to go back in,” Redick said, via ESPN. “Neither did [our] medical [staff], so we held him out. And he’ll get some imaging. I mean, too early to say if there’s an injury, but just had a sore hamstring.”
The timing is cruel for a Lakers team that had only just welcomed Reaves back and, aside from a long-term absence to rookie Adou Thiero, finally had some stability on the injury report.
Before going down in December, Reaves was enjoying the most productive stretch of his career, averaging 27.3 points, 5.4 rebounds, 6.5 assists, and 1.0 steal through 22 games.
He was doing so efficiently as well, shooting 50.4% from the field and 36.4% from deep, firmly establishing himself as a core offensive pillar alongside Doncic and James.
Reaves returned earlier this week against the Brooklyn Nets with 15 points in 20 minutes off the bench, and Thursday’s explosive showing only reinforced his importance.
His ability to carry the offense for long stretches without Doncic highlights just how vital his presence is, as the Lakers wait anxiously for clarity on their superstar’s status.