Austin Reaves will miss several weeks with oblique injury

When it rains, it pours, and right now, the Los Angeles Lakers are facing a sudden torrential downpour after looking so promising for the entire month of March. They fell 139-96 to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday, and in the third quarter of that game, they lost Luka Doncic for an indefinite amount of time to a Grade 2 left hamstring strain. While it was a big blow, an argument could've been made at the time that they could've survived that injury, as long as he's able to return early in the playoffs.

But now, L. A. has been dealt a double dose of major adversity.

Star guard Austin Reaves, who was visibly in pain and holding on to his side early in Thursday's game, has been diagnosed with an oblique injury, per Dave McMenamin of ESPN . He could miss four to six weeks of action. "With the team already reeling from the Luka Doncic left hamstring strain diagnosis that will sideline him indefinitely, the Los Angeles Lakers announced on Saturday that Austin Reaves has been diagnosed with a Grade 2 left oblique muscle injury and will be out for the remainder of the regular season," McMenamin wrote.

"While the team gave no timetable for his return, sources told ESPN's Shams Charania that Reaves is expected to miss four to six weeks with the injury. "Reaves underwent an MRI on his oblique/rib area Saturday. He was originally listed as questionable to play against the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday.