The Los Angeles Lakers’ impressive start to the season encountered a worrying moment Wednesday night when Austin Reaves limped to the locker room during the third quarter against the Milwaukee Bucks.
Reaves appeared to hurt himself on a missed running dunk with 8:21 remaining in the period. He initially stayed in the game before signaling to the bench for a substitution.
The Lakers guard checked out with exactly 5:20 left in the third quarter and Los Angeles leading 77-60. Ziaire Williams replaced Reaves, who headed to the locker room alongside team medical personnel.
ESPN’s Dave McMenamin reported that Reaves was walking with a slight limp.
The Athletic’s Dan Woike also observed that something appeared to be bothering Reaves following his earlier dunk attempt.
The nature and severity of the apparent injury were not immediately known.
Austin Reaves Injury Scare Interrupts Strong Performance
Reaves had contributed 18 points, three rebounds, five assists and three steals before leaving the game.
His exit came after he played another three minutes following the missed dunk, raising questions about what happened during the sequence.
Khobi Price of California Post reported that Reaves initially showed discomfort on the attempted dunk but stayed in the game following a timeout.
He eventually motioned toward the Lakers’ bench before checking himself out.
The timing was particularly concerning for Los Angeles, which entered Wednesday riding a six-game winning streak and holding an NBA-best 10-2 record.
Reaves has emerged as one of the Lakers’ most important offensive players alongside Luka Doncic.
Entering the Milwaukee matchup, the 28-year-old guard was averaging 25.3 points, 4.6 assists and 3.4 rebounds while shooting 50.8% from the field.
He also delivered a season-high 43 points in Sunday’s 121-116 victory over the Detroit Pistons, carrying the offense with Doncic sidelined because of back tightness.
However, Reaves missed Monday’s 124-114 victory over the Atlanta Hawks because of an illness.
He returned to the starting lineup against Milwaukee after being removed from the injury report.
His apparent injury now creates another concern for coach JJ Redick.
Lakers Face More Backcourt Uncertainty
The Lakers were already without Quentin Grimes, who missed his second consecutive game because of a sprained finger on his right shooting hand.
Grimes sustained the injury during Sunday’s victory over Detroit.
Redick previously said X-rays were negative, although swelling remained an issue.
Los Angeles has relied on Williams, Collin Sexton and Matisse Thybulle to provide additional perimeter depth.
Any extended absence for Reaves would place greater offensive responsibility on Doncic, who entered Wednesday averaging an NBA-leading 39.3 points and 7.9 assists.
The Lakers have been one of the league’s most productive offensive teams, averaging 122.1 points while shooting 50.7% from the field.
They will next face the Phoenix Suns on Sunday, Nov. 15.
For now, the focus remains on Reaves’ condition after his unexpected third-quarter departure.
The Lakers had not announced a diagnosis or a timetable for his return at the time of this update.
Austin Reaves Injury: Lakers Star Exits Bucks Game