Lakers Limping Into Mavs Showdown With Reaves' Status Up in the Air

The Lakers are getting hammered by the injury bug at the worst possible time. Austin Reaves is questionable for Sunday's game against Dallas after undergoing an MRI on his left oblique and rib area on Saturday, and that's just the latest blow to a team already reeling from Luka Doncic's Grade 2 left hamstring strain diagnosis that will sideline him indefinitely.

Coach JJ Redick isn't backing down, though. Despite being short-handed with guard Marcus Smart also day-to-day after missing the last six games with groin and ankle injuries, Redick made it clear the mission hasn't changed: "The rest of these guys and my staff, we're going after the 3 seed and we're going to try to win a playoff series. And we'll see what happens with Luka."

The Seeding Situation Is Still in the Lakers' Hands

Here's the thing: L.A. is still in a solid spot despite all the carnage. At 50-27, the Lakers hold a one-game lead on the No. 4 Denver Nuggets, a two-game lead on the No. 5 Houston Rockets, and a three-game lead on the No. 6 Minnesota Timberwolves with five games left to play. Even better, they hold the tiebreaker against all three teams after already winning the season series against each of them. That's insurance policy stuff right there.

The playoffs tip off in two weeks, and the Lakers haven't provided a timetable for Doncic's return beyond him missing the rest of the regular season. A Grade 2 hamstring strain typically means about a month of recovery time.

Reaves' Injury Was a First Half Thing

Reaves tweaked his left side during the first half of Thursday's ugly 139-96 loss to Oklahoma City. He went back to the locker room for evaluation but returned to finish the game with a team-high 15 points in 27 minutes. "I went back to get a rebound, overextended a little bit, and I felt something," Reaves said afterward. "But I feel decent right now, so we'll see."

Here's where it gets weird: Redick revealed that Reaves actually needed two MRI exams because the first one scanned the wrong area of his body. "I don't know where the chain of command lies with Dallas imaging, but they scanned the wrong area," Redick said. "Not on our end."

Next-Man-Up Time in Dallas

With Doncic definitely out and Reaves' availability still a question mark, Redick is preparing to spread the offensive load around. He's leaning on LeBron James, Luke Kennard, Rui Hachimura, and Deandre Ayton to step up and do a little bit more. James acknowledged the reality of the situation after practice: "It's always got to be a next-man-up mentality. But there's no way you can replace that type of impact. So, it's going to be a collective group. We all have to figure out a way to do a little bit more."

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.