Austin Reaves exits with heel injury as banged-up Lakers win 7th straight

The Lakers won their seventh straight game on Wednesday night, 123-112 at Milwaukee, and then spent part of the celebration checking the bodies of their two most important guards. Austin Reaves exited in the third quarter with a left heel injury. Luka Dončić followed him to the locker room after twisting his right ankle late in the fourth. The victory improved Los Angeles to 11-2, but the more consequential story was what the team might have to do without its starting backcourt.

Reaves’ injury came on a blocked dunk attempt. He remained in the game, looked uncomfortable during a timeout and then played three more minutes before appearing to aggravate the problem on a drive. He asked to be substituted on the next possession. Initial X-rays were negative, and coach JJ Redick said the tests had ruled out an Achilles injury. More imaging was scheduled for Thursday. That is reassuring, but it is not a diagnosis: the result of the follow-up examination will determine whether Reaves can play in the next game.

The timing makes the uncertainty harder. Reaves is averaging a career-best 23.5 points on 50.8% shooting, with 3.4 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 41.3% three-point accuracy. He and Dončić, who is averaging 38.6 points, form the NBA’s highest-scoring teammate pair. Reaves also signed a maximum extension this summer, so the Lakers’ plans are built around him rather than around a temporary replacement. He had also missed the previous game against Atlanta because of illness, meaning the team has already had to manage his availability.

Dončić’s ankle produced a separate medical question. He landed on Kyle Kuzma’s foot after making a long two-point jumper and being fouled with the Lakers ahead. He stayed in to shoot the free throw, then left. Evan Jeffries, a physical therapist who analyzed the play for BasketNews, described it as a likely inversion ankle sprain. A Grade I sprain could mean day-to-day availability or as much as two weeks out; a Grade II could require three to six weeks. Dončić and Redick both described the injury as minor after the game, but those assessments came before the severity was established.

What made the Lakers’ win convincing was their depth. They outscored Milwaukee 33-23 in the third quarter, then received 55 points from the bench. Sandro Mamukelashvili made five of eight three-pointers for 23 points, continuing a sharp change after going 11 for 35 from beyond the arc during the first 11 games. Jake LaRavia scored no points but collected nine rebounds and a team-high six assists. Walker Kessler added 10 points and 11 rebounds. Together, LaRavia and Kessler supplied 11 of the Lakers’ 19 offensive rebounds, giving the offense a way to recover when its first shot failed.

That work mattered because Los Angeles shot only 46.3% overall and 37.5% from three, below its early-season standard. The Lakers also forced 18 Milwaukee turnovers and recorded 15 steals, with Dončić, Reaves and Matisse Thybulle collecting three apiece. Collin Sexton needed stitches after colliding with Ryan Rollins, while Quentin Grimes missed his second consecutive game with a sprained right finger. The Lakers have won three road games in succession, but their margin against injury is narrowing.

The immediate decision point is Thursday’s imaging. A clean result would preserve the pairing that has powered the league’s best record; a more serious heel diagnosis would test the bench production that has made this stretch possible. Dončić’s ankle matters too, but Reaves’ status is the larger variable because the Lakers’ offense and defense have been built around the two of them together.