Austin Reaves seems to be just fine after leaving the game early due to taking a hit to his lower leg in the second half against Golden State. He’d been brilliant up to that point, dropping 21 points on 7-of-10 shooting with three rebounds and three assists in just 23 minutes. He was key in the Lakers’ victory, leading the offense with Luka Doncic and LeBron James sitting out.
After the game, JJ Redick quickly reassured reporters that Reaves was “fine” and that his exit was purely precautionary. Moments later, Reaves confirmed that he was good.
JJ Redick said he thinks Austin Reaves is “fine” after taking a knee to the lower leg in the third quarter.
Reaves has been explosive and efficient in his two preseason games thus far.
— Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) October 13, 2025
It was exactly the kind of performance the Lakers wanted to see from Reaves heading into the new season. His jumper was smooth, his timing on cuts was perfect, and he even had some razzle-dazzle to get the crowd buzzing. The team relied on him to set his teammates up as well as create his own shot. He was clearly the Lakers’ best player tonight with their two superstars missing the action.
But even with both Redick and Reaves saying he’s fine, that doesn’t guarantee fans will see him again this preseason. The Lakers have taken a hyper-conservative approach so far, sitting key players for rest or minor soreness, even in matchups that draw national attention.
That cautious approach makes sense — but it also means Reaves might get more rest than reps in the coming days. Given how good he looked before the injury scare, there’s really nothing left for him to prove until the games count. But if he does miss some time, this will only further complicate the team’s chemistry-building, with multiple key players already out of action.
In the end, the Lakers avoided a nightmare scenario. Their steady guard is fine, their new coach is preaching patience, and the preseason continues. If anything, Sunday night was a reminder that while the Lakers’ stars might be taking it easy in October, Austin Reaves already looks in midseason form.
