The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the New Orleans Pelicans 110-101 on Tuesday night behind a fourth-quarter comeback. The late run wasn’t without a scare as Austin Reaves was seen shaking his hand after making contact with Zion Williamson. AR stayed in the game, and he made sure that fans didn’t have to worry by making it clear that he hit his funny bone on the play.
It was a rough night for Reaves. He didn’t make a field goal in the first half and had just two points. His offense picked up a bit in the final two quarters, but Reaves still finished shooting just four of 15 from the field with five turnovers. Add in the injury, and this is a night that AR would certainly like to forget.
Reaves has been struggling to find his offense with Luka Doncic and LeBron James in the lineup. The Lakers have won three straight, but they are still working on the kinks with everyone healthy. AR has certainly taken a backseat. The last thing they needed was another injury hampering the team’s chemistry, so LA got lucky on Tuesday night.
Austin Reaves gives postgame injury update Lakers fans must hear
Reaves made it clear that he hit his funny bone on the play. Fans can read the quote below.
“I think I just hit my funny bone, so my whole hand went numb. Called the timeout, and it kind of went away. Wanted to play.”
It was positive that he stayed in the game, and Lakers fans have nothing to worry about moving forward.
Reaves is fine and will be ready for the crucial showdown against the Nuggets on Thursday night. Denver is just 0.5 game ahead of Los Angeles for fifth in the Western Conference, and fans know Luka Doncic is always amped up to face Nikola Jokic. The Lakers will be locked in, and thankfully, don’t have to worry about AR.
Reaves finished with 15 points, eight rebounds, three assists, two steals, and two blocks against the Pelicans. It was fantastic to see him impact the game in other areas when his shots weren’t falling. The 6’5 wing locked in defensively and crashed the glass. The Lakers need that type of production if they are going to make a deep playoff run. Reaves can’t shoot this poorly, but the other contributions more than made up for it.
The Lakers must figure out how to get AR back on track. Over his last six games, Reaves is shooting just 39.7 percent from the field and 35.5 percent on his 3-point attempts. He has 18 assists and 15 turnovers over that stretch. Los Angeles needs more from a member of their Big 3.
Los Angeles Lakers fans don’t have to worry about Austin Reaves’ fourth-quarter injury. He stayed in the game and noted that he hit his funny bone in the postgame presser. Reaves is fine and will be looking to bust out of his slump against the Nuggets in Denver on Thursday night. This win feels like it might do just that, so don’t miss it.