LeBron James has improbably been holding down the fort without his co-stars Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves to begin Round 1 of the NBA playoffs against the Houston Rockets.
However, the 22-time All-Star may not have to wait long for reinforcements, as Reaves has unexpectedly been upgraded to questionable ahead of Friday’s critical Game 3 clash in Houston. Will Reaves make his return on Friday night?
What Is Austin Reaves’ Injury Status for Game 3 of Lakers-Rockets?
Reaves is questionable and a game-time decision for Game 3 against the Rockets at Toyota Center, but ESPN’s Shams Charania provided a promising update on his status earlier this afternoon.
“Austin Reaves is on his way. He’s getting closer to coming back from a Grade 2 oblique injury. My understanding is that Austin Reaves is trying to play in Game 3 tonight and, if not Game 3, then in Game 4,” Charania said.
.@ShamsCharania gives updates on some of the biggest stars in question for Game 3 tonight:
👽 Victor Wembanyama
🌴 Austin Reaves
🚀 Kevin Durant
🔔 Joel Embiid pic.twitter.com/jYVbGIMZFh— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) April 24, 2026
He noted that Reaves recently started on-court work and has progressed well without any setbacks.
Reaves has been sidelined since suffering a Grade 2 left oblique strain on April 2 during the Lakers’ loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder, the same game in which Luka Dončić went down with a Grade 2 left hamstring strain.
The initial recovery timeline at the time of the injury was four to six weeks, which immediately cast doubt over his availability for the entirety of the first round. With Game 3 falling just three weeks the injury, he is looking to beat the timeline “by a hair,” Charania said.
The postseason schedule has benefited the Lakers, as there are multiple two-day breaks built between games that have extended the series calendar and given both injured players extra recovery time. Game 7, if necessary, would be played on May 3.
Without Reaves, the Lakers have leaned heavily on James and gotten remarkable contributions from their role players, too.
Luke Kennard erupted for a career playoff-high 27 points in Game 1. James put up 28 points, 8 rebounds, and 7 assists in Game 2, and Marcus Smart added 25 points and 5 steals in that same outing as Los Angeles claimed a 101-94 victory to go up 2-0.
Whether Reaves is in the lineup or not tonight, it certainly sounds like he is nearing a return and that raises the ceiling for this Lakers team that are exceeded all expectations over the first two games of this series.
