The Los Angeles Lakers have proven they are still a contender in the Western Conference, taking a 2-0 lead over the Houston Rockets in the first round.
Head coach JJ Redick has made new adjustments with the absences of Austin Reaves and Luka Doncic, who continue to recover from their own injuries. Redick revealed that forward Jake LaRavia is now dealing with a setback of his own. The 24-year-old has a “very minor” ankle sprain and is listed as day-to-day, The Athletic’s Dan Woike reported.
It’s unclear whether the injury will affect LaRavia’s status for Game 3 on Friday. His status will continue to be updated.
Jake LaRavia’s Impact on the Lakers
In his first year in a Lakers uniform, Jake LaRavia has floated between a bench role and the starting lineup. The 24-year-old forward has made a significant impact on Los Angeles this season.
LaRavia’s usage has declined so far in the playoffs, averaging 3.0 points, 2.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 1.0 blocks per game while shooting just 20.0% from the field through two games. He also averages just 17.0 minutes a game in the two wins Los Angeles has so far this postseason.
These numbers are significantly worse than his regular-season numbers. While the Lakers have gone through many different starting lineups this season due to injuries, LaRavia has been a significant contributor in 2025-26.
Playing in all 82 games this season (43 starts), Jake LaRavia finished the campaign averaging 8.2 points, 4.0 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 1.3 steals per game on 45.9/32.1/76.3 shooting splits.
He’s the only player on the Lakers’ roster who has played in all 82 games and both playoff games so far this season. He could be on the verge of missing the first game of his Lakers career on Friday, although it’s unclear how much the setback will impact his status.
Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves Injury Updates
Lakers superstar Luka Doncic continues to sit out of games while recovering from a Grade 2 hamstring strain he suffered in the April 2 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
ESPN’s Dave McMenamin explained on Wednesday that a Grade 2 hamstring strain typically has a month-long recovery period. The Lakers are playing the cautious route with Doncic.
There’s no specific timetable for Luka Doncic’s return. ESPN’s Shams Charania mentioned that the Lakers do not expect Doncic to return during their first-round matchup against the Rockets and remains out indefinitely.
However, Austin Reaves’ update on his Grade 2 oblique strain is more encouraging for the Lakers. Charania believes that Reaves is closer to returning to the court than Doncic, who has already begun 1-on-1 court work.
“The sense around the Lakers is that Austin Reaves is actually the one that’s further along than Luka Doncic in their respective rehab processes. I am told Austin Reaves has started 1 on 1 on court work. The Lakers are not expecting Luka Doncic to be back in this series.
Dave McMenamin said Game 5 of the Lakers-Rockets series will be a key point in Austin Reaves’ recovery, but Los Angeles listed the 27-year-old as questionable for Friday’s Game 3 matchup.
This is somewhat surprising news heading into the matchup.
JJ Redick will have to focus on what they have available, rather than waiting on the return of their star players. Their two-game lead on the Rockets is convincing, but there’s plenty of games left in the series as Games 3 and 4 take place in Houston.
Lakers’ JJ Redick Reveals New Injury to Role Player