The Lakers’ worst nightmare nearly manifested just as the team was on a blistering 3–0 start to their road trip. The Los Angeles Lakers extended their red-hot winning streak to seven games on Wednesday night with a 123–112 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks at Fiserv Forum, improving their league-best record to 11–2. However, the celebratory atmosphere in the locker room quickly turned anxious as LA suffered a devastating injury pileup to their star backcourt. Austin Reaves and Luka Doncic were forced out of action during the contest, and Collin Sexton was also injured.
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The injury crisis in one game left head coach JJ Redick fielding tough questions about his late-game rotation decisions and the immediate health outlook for his core players.
The trouble began in the third quarter when Austin Reaves drove hard in transition for a dunk attempt, landing awkwardly on his left foot and immediately wincing in pain. Reaves limped off the court and headed straight to the locker room. He was ruled out for the rest of the game with a ‘left heel injury.’
Before his night was cut short, AR had put up 18 points, five assists, three rebounds, and three steals in 25 efficient minutes, shooting 6-of-10 from the field.
Given the non-contact nature of the landing, initial concerns about a potential Achilles injury surfaced. However, Redick quickly ruled out those worst-case scenarios during his postgame media session.
“X-rays were negative,” Redick told reporters. “He’ll get imaging tomorrow. No update besides that.”
While the negative X-rays brought a collective sigh of relief across the fanbase, the Lakers will await Thursday’s MRI and specialized imaging to determine the exact severity and timeline for the left heel injury. Reaves, who is currently averaging 23.5 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 4.6 assists while shooting over 50% from the field, has been vital for LA’s offense alongside Doncic.
Compounding the Lakers’ sudden adversity, superstar guard Luka Doncic suffered a scare of his own late in the fourth quarter. Doncic and Bucks forward Kyle Kuzma got tangled, sending Doncic to the floor. The MVP frontrunner came down hard on his right ankle. He was holding it in pain as he slid over to the sidelines.
After staying in long enough to shoot his mandatory free throws following a review, Doncic was intentionally fouled so he could be subbed out. He went to the locker room for the rest of the game. Naturally, the fact that Redick hadn’t immediately pulled him out of a blowout enraged fans.
Despite finishing with a game-high 32 points, five rebounds, and five assists in 32 minutes, Doncic’s exit cast a shadow over the victory. However, Redick downplayed the severity of his lead guard’s ailment.
“Luka, I think is fine. Just a, like, tweak,” Redick assessed.
Doncic echoed that sentiment in his postgame remarks, telling reporters, “I’m good. Obviously, painful a bit. But I’ll be fine. We got three-and-0 on the road trip, so that’s great.”
As queries poured in regarding why Doncic was still on the floor late in a comfortable blowout, Redick offered complete transparency regarding his decision-making process.
The backcourt situation was further complicated by an earlier, bizarre collision between reserve guard Collin Sexton and Bucks guard Ryan Rollins. Both players sustained head-to-head contact during a play, leaving Sexton dazed and frozen on the court. While cameras didn’t show the damage, it was enough to get Doncic off the bench to demand a pause. Jake LaRavia got a peek and immediately backed up in shock.
Lakers staff immediately gave Sexton a towel to hold against his bloodied head and led him to the locker room. Rollins also had to leave the game after the collision.
Redick later confirmed Sexton required sutures in his temple area. The coach explained that Sexton’s unexpected departure severely depleted the team’s available ball-handlers, forcing his hand in the final stretch.
“I don’t think Luka would have gotten back in the game had Collin not busted his head open,” Redick explained. “So not having Collin, not having AR, you put Luka back in… and then he tweaks his ankle. So there’s nothing you can do about that.”
Redick emphasized that he relies heavily on a structured operational process rather than second-guessing decisions in response to random misfortunes.
“We have a process for everything. It doesn’t change anything. You stick with your process. A guy could get hurt on the first play of the game. I don’t second-guess. You stick with your process. You agree on your process, and you go do your process,” Redick stated.
The Lakers also received contributions from newcomer Sandro Mamukelashvili, who poured in 23 points against his former team alongside Walker Kessler’s 10-point, 11-rebound double-double. Yet, the overriding storyline remains the health of the backcourt.
Fortunately, the schedule provides a brief window of recovery. The Lakers enjoy three days off before returning to the floor on Sunday for a matchup against the Phoenix Suns. Whether Doncic or Reaves will be cleared to suit up by then depends heavily on Thursday’s medical evaluations, as the team looks to protect its momentum on this road trip.