It is not officially over yet, but from the current state of things, the Los Angeles Lakers will have one eye fixed on the second round of the playoffs.
The Lakers hold a 3-0 lead against the Houston Rockets heading into a do-or-die Game 4 set for Sunday night in Houston.
Heading into tip-off, all are on the status of guard Austin Reaves, who was listed as questionable for the encounter at the start of today.
The Lakers have been without two of their top scorers in Reaves and Luka Doncic throughout the series. Yet here they are eyeing the opportunity to pull off a remarkable sweep.
GettyLeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts during the game against the Houston Rockets.
Lakers Announce Decision: Austin Reaves Will Not Play
Reaves has made steady progress on the Grade 2 left oblique strain he suffered early this month. He missed the final few games of the regular season and the first three games of the postseason.
However, reports began pegging him for an early return, as early as tonight’s game. But the Lakers announced Reaves will not play tonight.
That means the team will likely plan to deploy the same lineup it has used since the series began, meaning LeBron James will lead the line, with support from DeAndre Ayton, Rui Hachimura, Marcus Smart and Luke Kennard.
Doncic is not expected back until the conclusion of the series despite his trip to Europe for specialized treatment on his hamstring injury. The Lakers want him fully rested for the next round.
Reaves did not seek any specialized treatment. He has kept the door open for a potential return close to four weeks after his injury.
Game 4 Expectations
The Rockets have no wins yet on the board in the playoffs. But it feels a little too late now after they dropped that Game 3.
Of the 159 times teams have led 3-0 in the playoffs, they are 159-0. A handful of teams like the Boston Celtics in 2023 have forced a Game 7 after being three games down, but no franchise has completed the comeback.
It’s hard to see the Rockets being the first to do that. The status of Kevin Durant is yet to be confirmed as the tip-off nears. They have struggled without him as he only played in Game 2, albeit being below 100%. Head coach Ime Udoka confirmed that the star forward is progressing in his rehabilitation including doing some on-court work, but no confirmation of his return for tonight’s matchup.
The Lakers will aim to close out the series on the road and look forward to the next round. What Houston can essentially do at this point is to extend the series further than four games.
Lakers Announce Final Decision on Austin Reaves’ Game 4 Status