Austin Reaves returned to the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday night against the Brooklyn Nets, with head coach JJ Redick confirming his availability shortly before tipoff.
Reaves had been sidelined since Christmas Day with a Grade 2 strain in his left calf. Playing his first game after a 19-game absence, the fifth-year guard came off the bench and was on a minutes restriction, according to Redick.
“We’ve missed him in every facet,” Redick said, “On the ball, off the ball, as a connector, his leadership on the floor, his competitive spirit — especially defensively.”
Reaves checked in with 1:30 remaining in the first quarter after a timeout, with the Lakers leading 38-21. He scored his first points at the end of the quarter, knocking down two free throws after drawing a foul on Nic Claxton.
He appeared comfortable early in the second quarter, highlighted by a lob off the backboard to LeBron James for a dunk. The Nets provided a favorable matchup as Reaves worked his way back, with Brooklyn trailing 69-40 at halftime. Reaves had nine points at the break, shooting 2-of-6 from the field and 0-for-3 from beyond the arc, while going a perfect 5-for-5 from the free-throw line.
Reaves had been listed as questionable for each of the Lakers’ previous three games. After going through pregame warmups, he told The Athletic’s Dan Woike that he wanted to play against Brooklyn.
Before the injury, Reaves was enjoying the best stretch of his career, averaging a career-high 26.6 points, 5.2 rebounds and 6.3 assists in 23 games. He was shooting 37 percent from three-point range on 170 attempts.
The 27-year-old suffered the injury during the second quarter of the Lakers’ 119-96 loss to the Houston Rockets on Christmas Day and did not return after halftime. An MRI revealed a Grade 2 calf strain, and team officials initially ruled him out for at least four weeks. He ultimately missed five weeks.
Prior to the Christmas Day injury, Reaves had also missed three games with a Grade 1 strain in a different area of his left calf. He had returned against the Phoenix Suns and was on a minutes restriction in those two games before re-injuring himself against Houston.