Lakers star guard Austin Reaves will be sidelined for at least the next month because of a calf injury.
The team announced on Friday evening that Reaves will be re-evaluated in about four weeks after being diagnosed with a grade 2 left gastrocnemius (upper calf muscle) strain.
Reaves suffered the injury during Thursday’s Christmas Day loss to the Houston Rockets.
He had 12 points on 5-of-8 shooting in 15 first-half minutes before being ruled out just after halftime with what the team called left calf soreness.
“Austin clearly felt something,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said after Thursday’s game. “So we did our normal halftime, and then as we were walking out of the locker room, [Director of Player Performance and Health] Dr. [Leroy] Sims told me he was out.”
Reaves sat out three games last week because of a different left calf strain before making his return to the court in Tuesday’s road loss to the Phoenix Suns.
He came off the bench against the Suns while playing with a minutes restriction. He started against the Rockets, though still with a playing time restriction, before leaving the game because of what the team referred to at the time as left calf soreness.
NBA teams have become more cautious when it comes to calf injuries.
“I would venture to say every player is a little bit different,” Redick said on Dec. 13 after Reaves’ first calf injury. “But players now are becoming more cautious, to use that word again, more cautious when they get those diagnosis with the calf. Everything looks clean. It’s not in the deep part. I can’t remember the name of the calf, but it’s not in the deep part.”
Reaves was playing at an All-Star level before suffering the injury. He averaged 26.6 points, 5.2 rebounds and 6.3 assists per game, while shooting 50.7% from the field, 36.5% from 3-point range and 87.3% from the free-throw line in 23 games this season.
Fellow Lakers star guard Luka Doncic, who sat out the loss to the Suns because of a lower left leg contusion and has dealt with calf ailments throughout his career, advised Reaves to take his time with the injury.
“I talked to him,” Doncic said on Thursday. “He just said he [doesn’t] know. He’ll have an MRI. I know how it is [with] a calf injury. It’s not fun at all. Just be there to support him. Take your time. Calves are dangerous, so take your time.”