Lakers get lucky with Austin Reaves’ injury update

Austin Reaves’ injury update wasn’t as dire as it could’ve been.

The Lakers announced on Friday that imaging wasn’t needed on the star guard’s bruised left heel.

Reaves is day to day, the Lakers said.

While that doesn’t mean the former Oklahoma guard will return to the floor immediately, it does signify he won’t be sidelined for as long as feared externally after he suffered the injury during Wednesday’s road win over the Bucks.

Reaves subbed himself out and limped to the back of Fiserv Forum with team personnel because of the heel injury he suffered midway through the third quarter of the Lakers’ eventual seventh straight victory of the season.

He motioned to the bench around the 5:20 mark of the quarter for him to come out of the game, with the Lakers making multiple subs while Reaves walked to the back. 

The Lakers ruled Reaves out for the remainder of the game midway through the fourth quarter, saying he had a heel injury.

Coach JJ Redick said Reaves’ X-rays were negative.

Reaves recorded 18 points, five assists, three rebounds and three steals in 25 minutes before leaving the game with the heel injury.

The 6-foot-5 guard entered Wednesday as the league’s No. 15 scorer, averaging 25.3 points (50.8% from the field, 41.3% on 3-pointers), 4.6 assists and 3.4 rebounds in the team’s first nine games.

Among players averaging at least 20 points per game, Reaves and Warriors star Steph Curry were the only ones to reach that scoring threshold while also shooting at least 50% from the field, 40% on 3-pointers and 90% on free throws.