Austin Reaves will miss several weeks with oblique injury
· Yahoo Sports
When it rains, it pours, and right now, the Los Angeles Lakers are facing a sudden torrential downpour after looking so promising for the entire month of March.
Visit albergomalica.it for more information.
They fell 139-96 to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday, and in the third quarter of that game, they lost Luka Doncic for an indefinite amount of time to a Grade 2 left hamstring strain. While it was a big blow, an argument could've been made at the time that they could've survived that injury, as long as he's able to return early in the playoffs.
But now, L.A. has been dealt a double dose of major adversity. Star guard Austin Reaves, who was visibly in pain and holding on to his side early in Thursday's game, has been diagnosed with an oblique injury, per Dave McMenamin of ESPN. He could miss four to six weeks of action.
"With the team already reeling from the Luka Doncic left hamstring strain diagnosis that will sideline him indefinitely, the Los Angeles Lakers announced on Saturday that Austin Reaves has been diagnosed with a Grade 2 left oblique muscle injury and will be out for the remainder of the regular season," McMenamin wrote.
"While the team gave no timetable for his return, sources told ESPN's Shams Charania that Reaves is expected to miss four to six weeks with the injury.
"Reaves underwent an MRI on his oblique/rib area Saturday. He was originally listed as questionable to play against the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday."
Reaves, 27, has increased his offensive production in each of the last few years. He will end the regular season averaging 23.3 points on 49% field-goal shooting and 36% from 3-point range, 4.7 rebounds and 5.5 assists a game. He had previously missed just over a month due to a gastrocnemius strain.
This second major injury will not only leave the Lakers without two of their three stars but also two of their three main facilitators on offense. Coach JJ Redick said they will call up a few players from their G League affiliate.
"Redick said he planned to expand the rotation in the interim, going from nine players to possibly 11 and mentioned that Kobe Bufkin, Nick Smith Jr. and Dalton Knecht would all join the team in Dallas after playing for the South Bay Lakers in the G League playoffs," McMenamin wrote.
The Lakers have a 50-27 record and are in third place in the Western Conference, but their lead over the fourth-place Denver Nuggets is down to half a game. They have five regular-season games remaining in their schedule, including Sunday's contest at the Dallas Mavericks.
This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Austin Reaves will miss several weeks with oblique injury