HOUSTON — He pulled on his headband like old times, but Austin Reaves will not make his playoff debut yet.
The star Lakers guard warmed up for Game 3 in Houston but was ruled out before game time Friday.
The Rockets, already trailing 2-0 in the best-of-seven series, will be without Kevin Durant. The star forward was ruled out with a left ankle sprain, Rockets coach Ime Udoka said before the game. Durant, who missed Game 1 because of a knee contusion, suffered the latest injury in the fourth quarter of Game 2. He turned his ankle on a transition play, but stayed in the game. In the two days since then he experienced swelling in the ankle. Durant was remarkably durable this season, ranking second in the league in minutes played, trailing only teammate Amen Thompson.
Reaves was upgraded to questionable Thursday, a surprising three-week progression from when he was grabbing at his left upper side in the first half of a game against Oklahoma City on April 2.
The typical timeline for a Grade 2 injury is four to six weeks. Reaves and Luka Doncic both suffered injuries of the same grade during the same game. But with Reaves’ being an upper body injury— a left oblique strain — compared to Doncic’s strained left hamstring, Reaves was able to return to the court sooner. Doncic went to Spain to receive specialized treatment with hopes of speeding up his recovery and rejoined the team on the sideline last Saturday in time for Game 1.
Doncic did some light shooting after practice Wednesday but wasn’t on the court during practice the same as Reaves, Redick said. Reaves resumed on-court work earlier this week, but Redick did not update the timeline for Reaves’ expected return. Reaves participated in stay-ready games — on-court sessions with coaches and staff members — while receiving treatment for his injury.
Reaves suffered the injury in the first quarter against Oklahoma City when he was reaching for a loose ball. He repeatedly reached for his left side during the first half, but was evaluated by the Lakers’ medical staff at halftime and cleared to return in the eventual 36-point loss.
Doncic left in the third quarter after hurting his hamstring, the same injury that cost him four games earlier this season.
This story originally appeared on LA Times
