The Los Angeles Lakers announced on Apr. 23 that Austin Reaves has been upgraded to questionable for Game 3 of their playoff series against the Houston Rockets due to a left oblique muscle strain, while Luka Doncic remains out with a left hamstring strain.
This update is significant as Reaves has missed the first two games of the series but has started on-court work in recent days, indicating progress toward a possible return. The team also reported that Jake LaRavia, who had suffered a right ankle sprain, is not listed on the injury report. “He’s doing good,” said Lakers head coach JJ Redick. “I’d say he has a very, very, very low-grade, minor minor minor ankle sprain. But the MRI was clean. He’ll be day-to-day.”
For the Houston Rockets, Kevin Durant is listed as questionable with a left ankle sprain—a different issue from his previous right knee contusion that kept him out of Game 1.
The Lakers currently lead their first-round series against the Rockets 2-0 despite missing key players like Doncic and Reaves. The team has relied on contributions from across its roster to secure this advantage and is approaching player recoveries cautiously to avoid setbacks.
Meanwhile, Rui Hachimura continues to play major minutes for Los Angeles during these playoffs and said he feels prepared for his increased workload this postseason.
As both teams monitor injuries ahead of Game 3, decisions regarding player availability will likely be made closer to tip-off.