Austin Reaves Shares Update After Injury in Lakers-Thunder

The Lakers suffered their worst loss of the season against the defending champions, who handed them a 43-point drubbing. 

Reigning NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the way with 28 points, seven rebounds and seven assists on 12-of-25 shooting. Isaiah Joe added 20 points and hit six triples. Oklahoma City shot a blistering 53.9% from the field.

The night turned problematic for Los Angeles from the opening quarter. Reaves drained a three-pointer and immediately grabbed his back upon landing. Coach JJ Redick pulled him from the game. 

Reaves headed to the locker room for evaluation but returned in the second quarter and finished the night. He paced the visiting Lakers with 15 points on 5-of-9 shooting and 2-of-3 from three, adding four rebounds.

After the game, Reaves addressed the scare in the locker room.

"I went back to get a rebound, overextended a little bit, and I felt something. But I feel decent right now, so we'll see," said Reaves in a clip shared by Lakers reporter Khobi Price on X.

Redick, meanwhile, remains optimistic that his star guard will be available.

"He was in a weird position stretching for a basketball, a loose ball, and just felt something intercostal, something in his back in between the ribs,” the Lakers head coach said via Lakers Nation on X. “He was able to play through it and battled back. We'll see how he feels tomorrow."

The injury concern compounds an already difficult evening for Los Angeles. Luka Doncic exited with a left hamstring injury in the third quarter and did not return. He will undergo an MRI on Friday.

With roughly two weeks left in the regular season, the Lakers cannot afford to lose key pieces. 

Los Angeles visits the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday, giving the wounded squad time to recover before the playoffs.