The Lakers have a chance to advance to the Western Conference Semifinals with a win in Game 5 vs. the Rockets on Wednesday and Austin Reaves is trending towards being back in action. Per ESPN’s Shams Charania, the Lakers are optimistic about Reaves returning for Game 5 after he has missed the last nine games with an oblique strain.
Luka Doncic (hamstring) remains out and with the superstar sidelined, Reaves should find himself with a large role in his return. In the six games Reaves has played alongside LeBron James with Doncic inactive this season, Reaves is averaging 21.7 points and 7.0 assists per game while leading Los Angeles with a 31.5% usage rate.
Reaves’ return should also result in decreased roles for Marcus Smart and Luke Kennard, who have been excellent with Reaves and Doncic sidelined. Reaves ranked second for the Lakers in net rating in the regular season and having him back will be a huge boost for the club.
Los Angeles opened as a 2.5-point favorite on DraftKings Sportsbook for Game 5 vs. the Rockets, but in the wake of this news that Reaves is likely to return, the Lakers have moved to a 4.5-point favorite.
