Austin Reaves said on Apr. 28 that he is feeling good as he considers a potential return to the Los Angeles Lakers lineup for Game 5 against the Houston Rockets. Head coach JJ Redick said after practice that Reaves will be a game-time decision, but there is optimism within the team about his chances to play.
Reaves has missed previous games due to a left oblique muscle strain suffered about four weeks ago during a loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder. Despite being listed as questionable before Games 3 and 4, he was ultimately ruled out for both contests. “I feel good,” Reaves said. “As far as what we’re doing, we’re in a good spot up 3-1 back at home. We’ve got a good opportunity tomorrow, so we’ll see.”
Reaves discussed ongoing conversations with Redick and the training staff regarding his recovery process and readiness to return: “That’s what we sat down [and talked about] at the start of it and JJ was like you have to be comfortable with your body and what you can do to go out there and help us be successful,” he said. “I want to get out there as fast as I can. But like I said, I feel good and trending in the right direction. Can’t wait to wake up tomorrow and attack another day.” He added that determining his status for Game 5 will depend on how his body feels on Wednesday morning.
Reflecting on his injury, Reaves described frustration over its timing late in the season: “I kind of had a feeling,” he said. “Like I said, I’ve got a high pain tolerance so if something bothers me, it’s usually something is wrong. Super frustrated, obviously… But obviously our confidence didn’t waiver as a team… Basically the message from that day forward was they’re gonna do everything as a team to give us an opportunity to come back and play. They’ve done exactly what they’ve said.”
While sidelined during postseason games against Houston, Reaves admitted watching from afar has been difficult: “I’ve been pretty miserable,” he said. However, he expressed enjoyment seeing teammates succeed in his absence: “It’s been a lot of fun… Just seeing the determination, togetherness… Me and Luka talk about it every time we’re watching, just how hard we’re playing…”
The Lakers lead their series against Houston three games to one heading into Game 5.
