Reaves' return to starting lineup fuels Lakers closeout win
May 1, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA;Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves (15) handles the ball against Houston Rockets forward Tari Eason (17) during the third quarter of game six of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Toyota Center. HOUSTON -- The Los Angeles Lakers entered the 2026 NBA Playoffs in a compromised position. Not only were they down the league’s scoring champion Luka Doncic to a hamstring strain, but the team also lacked its second-leading scorer Austin Reaves who suffered an oblique injury against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Apr.
2. Reaves missed the first four contests of the Lakers’ first round series against the Houston Rockets. However, the 23.
3-point per game scorer returned Wednesday night in Los Angeles, coming off the bench in a 99-93 defeat. Despite winding up on the losing end, his presence on the court was the culmination of persistence and perseverity over a 4-week timeframe. “There were days I left my house at 7:30 in the morning and didn’t get back until 7:30 or later at night, just going through every possible thing I could go through to help myself get better,” Reaves said.
“We did it as a collective. We huddled up when it first happened and basically attacked every single day after that. ” In Game 5, his first action in 27 days, Reaves finished 4-of-16 from the floor and 2-of-8 from three.
But Friday night’s Game 6 in Houston presented a different script for the fifth-year shooting guard. He was thrust into the starting lineup for the first time all series, and the Lakers’ offense flourished as a result. Reaves ranked third on the team with 15 points, regularly finagling his way to the rim with seven field goals on his 10 attempts inside the arc.