Austin Reaves ruled out at halftime with sore calf in Lakers’ Christmas loss

Lakers defender Austin Reaves was ruled retired astatine halftime of Los Angeles’ 119-96 Christmas Day nonaccomplishment to the Houston Rockets due to the fact that of a sore near calf, the squad said. He near Crypto.com Arena without a brace connected his near leg, and a root told ESPN helium is scheduled for an MRI connected Friday.

Lakers manager JJ Redick said the determination came rapidly aft the break.

“Austin intelligibly felt something,” Redick said aft the game. “We did our mean halftime and past arsenic we were walking retired of the locker room, [Lakers manager of subordinate show and health] Dr. [LeRoy] Sims told maine helium was out.”

Reaves had precocious missed 3 games with what the squad called a mild near calf strain. He returned Tuesday and scored 17 points successful 22 minutes disconnected the seat against the Phoenix Suns. He started Thursday against Houston, though Redick said Reaves would stay connected a minutes restriction.

Before leaving, Reaves had 12 points connected 5-for-8 shooting successful 15 first-half minutes. Marcus Smart started the 3rd 4th successful his place.

Doncic warns him to beryllium patient

Lakers prima Luka Doncic urged caution, speaking from acquisition aft dealing with his ain calf strain for much than a period earlier this year.

“I cognize however it is to spell done a calf injury,” Doncic said. “It's not amusive astatine all. [I will] conscionable beryllium determination to enactment him. Take your time. Calves are dangerous, truthful instrumentality your time.”

The setback comes successful what had been a breakout play for Reaves, a fifth-year defender who joined the Lakers arsenic a escaped cause successful 2021 aft going undrafted. He entered Thursday averaging a career-high 27.3 points per crippled connected 50.4% shooting, portion besides posting career-best numbers successful assists (6.5) and rebounds (5.4).

Earlier successful the week, Redick made the lawsuit for Reaves to gain his archetypal All-Star selection, pointing to some his accumulation and the antithetic way that got him there.

“Him and I person had discussions conscionable astir however surreal it is for him to beryllium playing astatine this level and successful this position,” Redick said. “I evidently perfectly deliberation helium should beryllium an All-Star this year.”