Austin Reaves has been a gametime decision for the Los Angeles Lakers' last two contests. That grade 2 oblique strain reached questionable status ahead of Game 3, but the star guard has yet to make his debut in the 2026 NBA Playoffs. Game 5 may finally be his stage.
Holding Reaves out of Game 3 was smart. Had the Lakers guard played in that one, his return would have come a fair bit ahead of the four-to-six week timeline given for his recovery. Returning in Game 4 would have been an unnecessary risk, given Los Angeles had the Houston Rockets on the ropes with a commanding 3-0 lead.
Game 5 is Reaves' Goldilocks moment. Game 3 was too hot. Game 4 was too cold. This one is just right.
Wednesday's upcoming tilt lines up at about the four-week mark for Reaves since his original injury. By then, Lakers guard would have had five full days off since being listed questionable, and having been a gametime decision twice. Plus, Game 5 is where JJ Redick and company would really need him again.
Austin Reaves return in Game 5 would seal the deal for the Lakers
The Lakers fumbled an opportunity to finish off the Rockets in Game 4, giving them just an inkling of life after losing a disappointing 115-96 ball game. The issues of missing Luka Doncic and AR15 from the lineup finally showed up in a big way.
Redick's team finally looked like a squad who was clearly missing their top-two offensive options. The Lakers struggled to generate consistent opportunities on that end amid the Rockets' relentless defensive pressure.
"It's obviously very challenging without your two leading scorers to generate offense," Redick told reporters after Game 4. "We'll take a look at the process again on that end. ... Take care of the ball and we'll look at that and how we can be better there."
One of the easiest ways to improve is getting one of those two leading scorers back. it is not just the buckets-getting either. It will be the extra dosage of playmaking, ball-handling, and everything else in between that would give the Lakers a massive lift.
Reaves has felt close, incredibly close, to suiting up for Los Angeles again. If both him and the Lakers feel comfortable about where his health is at ahead of Game 5, a home crowd would welcome him back as a hero.
There may be a little bit of rust for Reaves upon his return. There could even be caution given with the minutes he is allocated. However, any amount of having their star guard available would still prove favorable for the Lakers' bid to wrap up this series and look ahead to a looming matchup against the squad who dealt the two heavy injury blows to Los Angeles in the first place.
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