Overview
- An MRI confirmed a Grade 2 left gastrocnemius strain, and the Lakers said Reaves will be re-evaluated in about four weeks.
- Reaves left the Christmas Day loss to the Rockets at halftime with left calf soreness after scoring 12 points in 15 minutes and did not return.
- He had recently missed three games with a left calf strain before returning on Dec. 23, making this a re-aggravation of the same area.
- If the four-week checkpoint holds, he could miss roughly 14 games, a window that bumps up against the Feb. 5 trade deadline and could affect award and All-Star eligibility thresholds.
- Los Angeles has dropped three straight as JJ Redick publicly questioned effort; Marcus Smart covered Reaves’ second-half minutes and Luka Dončić urged patience, calling calf injuries dangerous.