Lakers share ‘painful’ Austin Reaves injury update

Detailed summary

Lakers coach JJ Redick gave an update on Austin Reaves’ left heel bruise before the team played the Suns on Sunday. “He’s improving,” Redick said. “It really comes down to just…

Lakers coach JJ Redick gave an update on Austin Reaves’ left heel bruise before the team played the Suns on Sunday.

“He’s improving,” Redick said. “It really comes down to just like a pain tolerance thing. Again, nothing structural beyond a bruise. And so I think every day it’s been better, and we’ll see where he’s at in 48 hours when we play on Tuesday.”

Reaves suffered the injury in the third quarter of the Lakers’ 123-112 win over the Bucks on Wednesday. After subbing himself out of the game, Reaves had X-rays that were clean.

He was expected to get an MRI when the Lakers returned to Los Angeles on Thursday, but the Lakers’ medical staff and Reaves jointly determined that he didn’t need further imaging after seeing how he felt that morning.

Reaves is averaging 24.7 points (51.3% from the field, 40.9% from beyond the arc), 3.3 rebounds and 4.7 assists per game for the Lakers, who entered Sunday’s game tied for the best record in the league (11-2).

Of the players ahead of him, only Anthony Davis, Jamal Murray, Victor Wembanyama and Giannis Antetokounmpo are shooting as high of a field goal percentage. And only Murray and Steph Curry are ahead of him in 3-point percentage.

Reaves signed a four-year, $180 million contract with the Lakers this summer, the richest contract in NBA history for a player who went undrafted. He has been instrumental to the Lakers’ hot start. Entering Sunday’s game, the Lakers had won seven straight contests.

Reaves was ruled out Saturday for Sunday’s game. He’s day-to-day ahead of Tuesday’s game against the Hornets.

By Tuesday, Reaves would’ve had six days of rest and only missed one game.

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