The Los Angeles Lakers could be getting Austin Reaves back at exactly the right moment.
The starting guard is optimistic about suiting up for Game 5 of the first-round playoff series against the Houston Rockets on Wednesday night, with ESPN’s Shams Charania reporting he will be a game-time decision. Los Angeles holds a 3-1 series lead and has a chance to close things out at home in front of their own crowd.
Reaves has been out since April 2 with a Grade 2 left oblique strain, the same night Luka Doncic went down with a hamstring injury. He was reportedly close to playing in Game 4 but the Lakers, up 3-0 at the time, decided to give him a few more days to recover. He was listed as questionable for Sunday after showing solid progress.
Los Angeles Lakers star Austin Reaves is optimistic to return to action in Game 5 against the Houston Rockets on Wednesday night after missing about four weeks with a Grade 2 oblique strain, sources tell ESPN. Reaves will be a game-time decision for the third consecutive contest. pic.twitter.com/gT6nYaEPY1
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 28, 2026
What Austin Reaves’ Return Would Mean for Lakers
Getting Reaves back gives the Lakers another scoring option, steadier playmaking and composure when the pressure builds. Houston has competed hard in this series and is not going away quietly.
A 52-win team, the Rockets are talented enough to make things uncomfortable if Los Angeles lets them. That discomfort showed up in Game 4. With Doncic, Kevin Durant and Reaves all sidelined, the Lakers dropped a 115-96 result and let a sweep slip away.
The loss raises the stakes for Game 5 and gives Reaves a chance to shake off the rust against a team that is not a defending champion before a likely second-round matchup with the Oklahoma City Thunder.
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Reaves’ Playoff Performance Under the Spotlight
Reaves has never quite matched the standard he set in his first postseason run. In 2023, he averaged 16.9 points, 4.6 assists and 4.4 rebounds across 36.2 minutes per game as the Lakers reached the Western Conference Finals, shooting 46.4 percent from the field and 44.3 percent from three.
That version of Reaves was a real problem for opposing defenses. Since then, the numbers have dipped. He posted 16.8 points in 2023-24 but shot just 26.9 percent from three. In 2024-25 postseason, he averaged 16.2 points while shooting 31.9 percent from deep.
The efficiency has not been there in the playoffs the way it was that first year. Game 5 is a good spot for him to start turning that around. The Lakers have three chances to finish the series and the crowd at home will be loud. If Reaves is cleared to go, Wednesday night is his opportunity.
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