All eyes are on Austin Reaves to see if he laces up for a pivotal Game 5 of the playoff skirmish between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Houston Rockets at the Crypto.com Arena on Wednesday.
The Lakers lead the series 3-1 and will face the Rockets at 10 p.m. ET, with a chance to advance to the second round. Reaves’ availability, if cleared, will be a major boost for the Purple and Gold.
Will the Austin Reaves Play In Game 5 Against the Rockets?
At the time of writing, Reaves will be officially returning to the floor against the Rockets tonight. Per ESPN insider Shams Charania, Reaves has been finally cleared to play again, after a long wait.
Lakers star Austin Reaves has been cleared to return for Game 5 against the Houston Rockets, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/T3fNjPEOeF
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 30, 2026
The guard has not played since he suffered his oblique injury on April 2 against the Oklahoma City Thunder. He missed the final five games of the regular season and the four playoff games so far.
While Reaves’ return is a massive boost for the Lakers, there will likely be a minutes restriction in place. This would mainly be to protect the guard, given the impact he’s had so far this year and the importance he holds in JJ Redick’s system.
It has been a solid season for Reaves, who has morphed into a lethal offensive weapon for LA behind the Slovenian. He averaged 23.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 5.5 assists, while shooting 49% from the field and 36.0% from the 3-point line.
The latest comes on the back of Lakers head coach JJ Redick’s take on what the side missed after their Game 4 loss in Houston. “I think that’s the biggest challenge we have, just ball-handling and downhill drivers, not having those guys,” he told the reporters, per LakersNation.
On the playoffs front, it has been a collective effort for the Lakers with the likes of Deandre Ayton, Luke Kennard, Marcus Smart, and Rui Hachimura all punching well above their weight to help the team take a commanding 3-0 lead before losing Game 4.
Now that Reaves will be back on the court, Redick will be able to breathe a sigh of relief, especially considering his recent comments about missing the ball-handlers.
Reaves has been one of the Lakers’ main playmakers this year, and he would most certainly have an impact on the team tonight and their postseason run, provided everything else goes in their favor.
