Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves will miss at least four weeks with a Grade 2 left calf strain, the team announced Thursday evening.
Reaves, who is averaging a career-high 26.6 points per game, did not play during the second half of Los Angeles’ 119-96 home loss to the Houston Rockets on Christmas Day.
The fifth-year guard underwent an MRI that revealed a Grade 2 left gastrocnemius strain. The Lakers say Reaves’ injury will be re-evaluated in four weeks, a long stretch that is expected to test the team currently in fourth place in the Western Conference standings.
When Reaves missed three games two weeks ago with an injury to the same calf, the Lakers edged the Phoenix Suns and Utah Jazz before losing a 15-point decision to the Los Angeles Clippers on Dec. 20.
Reaves re-injured his calf in his second game since returning. He’s averaging 6.3 assists and 5.2 rebounds and shooting 50.7% from the field, 36.5% on 3-point attempts and 87.3% from the foul line.
Marcus Smart joined the Lakers’ starting lineup during Reaves’ recent absence and contributed 10.0 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game while shooting 30% from the field in those three games.
–Field level media
