Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves is optimistic about playing in Game 5 against the Houston Rockets on Wednesday night, according to ESPN. The Lakers lead the first-round playoff series 3-1 despite missing Reaves and Luka Dončić. Reaves has been sidelined since April 2 with an oblique strain.
Reaves suffered the oblique strain during a regular-season loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on April 2. He will be a game-time decision for Game 5 at home, where the Lakers can eliminate the Rockets and advance in the playoffs. Dončić, dealing with a hamstring injury, is not expected to return for this series but could play later if the Lakers progress further. The Lakers have not advanced beyond the first round since reaching the Western Conference finals in 2023. Reaves posted career highs in the regular season, averaging 23.3 points, 4.7 rebounds and 5.5 assists on 49/36/87.1 shooting splits. He was the team's second-leading scorer behind Dončić and likely would have earned his first All-Star nod without the injury. Players like Luke Kennard and Marcus Smart have stepped up, but Game 4 exposed the Lakers' struggles without full perimeter firepower, as they shot 5 of 22 from three-point range and committed 24 turnovers in a 19-point loss. A Reaves return, even on a minutes restriction after a long layoff, would boost the Lakers as they aim to close out the series.
