Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves is expected to miss at least one week after suffering a mild strain to his left calf.
The Lakers confirmed on Friday that Reaves will be unavailable for at least the team’s next two games as he begins his recovery.
Reaves has been one of the NBA’s most prolific scorers this season, ranking ninth in the league with 27.8 points per game during a breakout campaign. The former undrafted free agent has continued his rise into stardom in his fifth season with the Lakers, generating All-Star consideration while forming a potent backcourt partnership with Luka Dončić, who is averaging 35.0 points per game.
In addition to his scoring, Reaves is averaging 6.7 assists and 5.6 rebounds, helping the Lakers to a strong 17-7 start despite significant injury absences among their top players.
LeBron James missed the first 14 games of his 23rd NBA season due to sciatica, while Dončić has sat out six games because of minor injury management and a brief trip to Europe for the birth of his second child. Reaves himself had already missed three games earlier in the campaign.
The Lakers return to action Sunday at Phoenix and will not play again until Thursday, when they travel to Utah.
