Los Angeles Lakers star Austin Reaves  “expects” to play in Game 5 of his team’s first-round series against the Houston Rockets on Wednesday night, according to ESPN. Reaves, who has not played since April 2 due to an oblique strain, has been steadily ramping up and clearing all the necessary checkpoints to return to action. The Lakers, up 3-1 in the series, will advance to the second round with a win on their home floor.

For Houston, meanwhile, veteran star Kevin Durant is expected to again be sidelined with a bone bruise and sprained ankle. Durant played in Game 2 of the series but has missed every other contest.

“We’ll have to get on the court and do some things, and he didn’t participate in practice today,” Rockets coach Ime Udoka said Tuesday of Durant. “But he’s doing the conditioning and other aspects to try to get back.”

Meanwhile, Lakers superstar Luka Dončić has been taking a slower approach to his rehab process. While he’s starting to do on-court work, Dončić would be expected to miss the start of the second round of the playoffs if the Lakers advance, per ESPN.

Despite missing both Reaves and Dončić for the first four games of this series, the Lakers have a chance to close out the Rockets at home in Game 5. The Lakers have not advanced past the first round since 2023, when they went to the Western Conference finals.

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Late in the regular season, during a loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder, Reaves and Dončić (hamstring) both went down with injuries and have not played since. It was a massive blow to a Lakers team that had otherwise high hopes of going on a postseason run. However, those dreams are still alive as they hold a huge lead over a Rockets team that has underperformed so far.

It’s never easy to come back from an injury during the middle of a playoff series, especially after a long layoff, so the initial expectations for Reaves shouldn’t be super high. If he’s able to suit up on Wednesday, there’s a good chance he will be on a minutes restriction. Still, his presence would be a big boost for the Lakers.

Reaves averaged a career-high 23.3 points, 4.7 rebounds and 5.5 assists on 49/36/87.1 shooting splits during the regular season, and was the team’s second-leading scorer behind Dončić. Had Reaves not missed so much time due to injury, he likely would have made the first All-Star appearance of his career. 

As good as Luke Kennard and Marcus Smart have been in this series, Game 4 was a reminder of how much perimeter firepower and creativity the Lakers have been missing with Dončić and Reaves sidelined. In their 19-point loss, the Lakers shot 5 of 22 from 3-point range and turned the ball over 24 times. 

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Brad Botkin

With a win on Wednesday, the Lakers would send the Rockets packing and advance them in the bracket to play the reigning champion Thunder. They’ll have a much better chance to do so with Reaves in the lineup.