After missing almost four weeks due to a Grade 2 oblique strain, Los Angeles Lakers standout Austin Reaves is hopeful to play in Wednesday night’s Game 5 against the Houston Rockets, sources told ESPN on Tuesday.
For the third straight game, Reaves will be a game-time decision, but barring a setback, there is a lot of hope over his status. Over the past one to two weeks, he has advanced in his rehabilitation, moving from one-on-one exercises to bigger group scrimmages, according to sources.
Since sustaining the injury on April 2, he hasn’t played, missing the first four playoff games against the Rockets as well as the final five games of the regular season.
Reaves shot 49% from the field and 36% from three-point range this season, averaging 23.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 5.5 assists.
With a 3-1 lead over the Rockets, the Lakers will host Game 5 on Wednesday at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN. A victory would move them to the second round.
Luka Doncic, the key player for Los Angeles, is still sidelined while he heals from a hamstring injury he sustained on April 2.
