Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves took a scary fall late within the second quarter of his crew’s 101-93 loss to the Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder on Friday evening. Fortunately, he was capable of return to the sport within the second half and did not seem like considerably hindered.
“Vantage level on the play was an airborne participant and he made a play on the ball and that is why I finished dunking very early in my life,” Lakers coach JJ Redick stated. “Clear that he could not go within the first half. He is powerful as nails and I assumed he moved advantageous, wasn’t actually within the circulation of the sport explanation for that and never getting to start out the second half. He’ll be in some ache tomorrow and we’ll simply should assess going ahead.”
With simply over three and a half minutes remaining within the first half, Reaves faked a handoff with teammate Max Christie, which fully fooled the Thunder. He had a transparent runway to the rim and tried to get there forward of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Isaiah Hartenstein, who have been desperately making an attempt to get well from the weakside. The three converged on the basket on the similar time, and the drive of the collision despatched Reaves crashing to the ground, the place he landed immediately on his again.
After being attended to by the Lakers’ medical employees, Reaves briefly stayed within the recreation. He made each of his free throws and tried a 3-pointer on the following possession, however he was not shifting properly. On the subsequent useless ball, he checked out of the sport and instantly made his technique to the locker room.
It definitely appeared as if Reaves was accomplished for the evening, particularly when he didn’t come out of the locker room to start out the second half. Nevertheless, he returned to the bench in the course of the third quarter and checked in with 6:17 remaining within the body. He completed with 11 factors, 5 rebounds and three assists.
Reaves has taken one other step ahead this season and entered Friday averaging a career-high 17.1 factors, 3.4 rebounds and 4.9 assists per recreation on 37% capturing from behind the arc. He is third on the crew in scoring behind LeBron James and Anthony Davis and behind solely James in assists. He is additionally been an iron man for the Lakers, taking part in in all 18 video games up to now this season after suiting up for all 82 final 12 months.
Dropping him for any time period would have been dangerous information for the Lakers, who’ve been on a curler coaster experience by means of the primary 5 weeks of the season. After successful six video games in a row earlier this month, they’ve now misplaced 4 of their final 5 to fall to 11-8, which has them in sixth place within the crowded Western Convention.
