Tonight, the Los Angeles Lakers face off against the Houston Rockets, trying to bounce back after two tough losses. However, it seems that things aren’t going well. Austin Reaves appears to have been sidelined with an injury.

Why Did Austin Reaves Leave the Game? What Injury Did He Suffer?

The first sign of trouble came at the beginning of the second half. Reaves, who started tonight’s game a few days after returning from a calf strain, was nowhere to be seen, replaced by Marcus Smart to start the third quarter. It was later reported that he was in the locker room, and soon afterward, it became clear that he had suffered an injury.

“The Lakers have now told us that Reaves is out for the rest of this game with left calf soreness,” ESPN’s Lisa Salters said when the broadcast returned to Los Angeles. “When I spoke with him pregame, he said he felt good, thought that he was in good spot and felt that he would get more minutes tonight… He will not return.”

According to the broadcast, it seems like he has reaggravated the calf strain that sidelined him earlier this month.

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How Did Austin Reaves Perform Before Leaving?

Reaves played just under 15 minutes in two quarters today and helped keep the game within reach in the first half. He logged 12 points with two three-pointers, along with a rebound, an assist, and a block.

How Did the Lakers Adjust Without Austin Reaves?

Without Reaves, the Lakers relied heavily on Marcus Smart and Jake LaRavia to provide defense and shooting in the backcourt, but the lack of size caught up to them, especially when the Lakers didn’t have the level of offense they had with Reaves, and the Rockets used the lack of a secondary offensive engine to completely steal the momentum.

What was supposed to be a marquee Christmas Day game turned into a discouraging night for the Lakers, who never found rhythm, couldn’t protect the ball, and didn’t threaten the game, which slipped away in a 119-116 heartbreak, marking the team’s third straight loss.

The Rockets punished the Lakers on the offensive glass and during transition, quickly building a double-digit lead before LA could even settle. Despite Luka Doncic finding his footing late in the first and Smart and Jarred Vanderbilt’s short-lived second-quarter run, the Rockets took advantage of their sloppy execution. As soon as LA tried to close the gap, the Rockets responded with a run of their own.

After Austin Reaves was ruled out with a calf injury, the Lakers looked completely flat, letting Houston‘s lead balloon to over 20 points. Luka Doncic grew visibly frustrated with the officiating, being assessed his eighth technical foul this season, and the stops never seemed to come.

By the time the fourth quarter began, the outcome was clear, and Los Angeles had broadcast their continued struggles with defense on a national stage, and their fates were sealed even before the benches were emptied.