Austin

Reaves

Reaves found his rhythm again on Monday after an unspectacular Game 3. He shot efficiently both inside and outside the arc and repeatedly made his way to the free-throw line before finishing with a team-high in points. The fifth-year guard did struggle with turnovers against a tough Thunder defense. Still, his scoring and facilitating across his 43 minutes were important for the Lakers. Reaves missed a lot of time with injuries throughout the regular season, which hurt his fantasy value. When healthy, he was as productive as last season. He’ll likely be one of the better guards in fantasy leagues next season if injuries aren’t as big an issue.

Reaves got off to an excellent start regarding his playmaking, as he recorded eight first-half assists. Unfortunately for him and the Lakers, the well dried up in the second half. Oklahoma City ramped things up defensively, and the Lakers turned the ball over at a higher rate than they did in the first half. As for Reaves, he accounted for just five points and one assist after halftime. Simply put, that won’t get the job done, especially with Luka Dončić (hamstring) unavailable. The Lakers will need a win on Monday to avoid getting swept.

Reaves responded in a big way on Thursday to his eight-point Game 1 performance by finishing as the only Lakers player to reach the 30-point mark. He had success from deep, was efficient as a two-point scorer, and also got to the free-throw line to add to his scoring total. Turnovers were also an issue for Reaves in Game 2, as was the case in the series opener, but his contributions as a scorer and passer outweighed the negatives. A repeat performance in Game 3 would greatly benefit a Lakers team that’ll be trying to avoid going down by three games.

Reaves really had a tough time generating points on Tuesday. Without a three-point make and through poor shooting inside the arc, he logged his first single-digit scoring performance of the season. The fifth-year pro also struggled with turnovers, but his six assists helped to somewhat overshadow the giveaways. Especially with Luka Dončić still sidelined, the Lakers will need Reaves to play at a much higher level in Game 2 and moving forward against the NBA’s defending champions.

After coming off the bench in his first game back from a strained oblique, Reaves has returned to the Lakers’ starting lineup. He replaces Luke Kennard, who missed all four of his shot attempts in Game 5 and scored just one point. The Lakers are looking to avoid having to play a Game 7 on Sunday after winning the first three games of this series.

With Wednesday’s game being the first for Reaves since April 2, he was used in a reserve role. There were no restrictions for the Lakers’ guard, who logged 34 minutes. Reaves did not shoot the ball well from the field, but a 12-of-13 night at the foul line boosted the point total. Reaves may return to the starting lineup for Game 6 on Friday, especially when considering how poorly Luke Kennard played. Missing all four of his field-goal attempts, Kennard finished Game 5 with one point, three rebounds, two assists, two steals and one blocked shot. Whether he continues to start or gets bumped to the bench by Reaves, the Lakers need more from Kennard.

After more than three weeks on the sidelines with a strained oblique muscle, Reaves is good to go for Game 5. His return will not push Luke Kennard to the bench, as the Lakers are sticking with the lineup that started the first four games of this series. Kennard is joined in the lineup by Marcus Smart, Rui Hachimura, LeBron James and Deandre Ayton.

Reaves was a game-time decision in Games 3 and 4, but this latest update from Shams bodes well for Reaves’ return. With the Lakers looking to close out the series and move on to face the Thunder, Reaves’ return could come at just the right time.

In an appearance on the Pat McAfee show, Charania noted that Reaves - who was considered questionable for Game 4 - could get back on the court Wednesday when the Lakers return home for Game 5 against the Rockets. The Lakers went up three games to nil before getting blown out in Game 4. Reaves could be the catalyst the team needs to complete the gentleman’s sweep and advance to the Western Conference semifinals.

As well as James played in the first three games of this series, he struggled mightily in Game 4. The Rockets were far more effective defensively on Sunday, harassing James into eight turnovers and a 2-of-9 night from the field. LeBron and the Lakers head home for Game 5 on Wednesday, which may be enough time for Austin Reaves to return from his oblique injury. If so, that would be of immense help to James and the Lakers as they look to close out the series.