In case the Lakers’ loss on Christmas Day wasn’t frustrating enough, LA now also has to deal with yet another injury to a key contributor.
Austin Reaves was unable to return after the halftime break against the Rockets due to left calf soreness.
This is the exact same injury that caused him to miss three games in December and it will now, almost certainly, force him to miss more contests.
After the loss, Luka Dončić mentioned that Reaves would get an MRI on Friday and that Austin had his full support.
“I talked to him,” Luka said. “He just said he didn’t know. He’ll have an MRI tomorrow. I just said, ‘If you need something to help, I know what it is to go through calf injury.’ It’s not fun at all. Just be there to support him. Calf (injuries) are dangerous so just take your time.”
While Luka and Austin’s bromance often features light ribbing, after their Christmas Day game, Dončić was much more serious and supportive.
This is what you want from the face of the franchise. Dončić is offering to help Reaves and is ready to assist in any way possible.
Luka has plenty of experience dealing with the very injury Reaves has. Last year, he also hurt his calf during the middle of the Christmas Day game, but that was back when Luka was a Maverick.
He missed 22 games due to the injury and was traded to the Lakers right in the middle of that time away from the game.
Hopefully, Reaves has better luck with this nagging injury.
The Lakers had mentioned being “cautious” with Reaves’ calf strain when he was first diagnosed with the injury in mid-December, but apparently, they weren’t cautious enough if he re-aggravated it after a game and a half of action.
This time, an even grander abundance of caution will be needed. Reaves is in a contract year, and no one wants to see his calf strain become something far more serious that could possibly hurt his future.
You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.
