The Los Angeles Lakers extended their winning streak to seven games with a 123-112 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday, but they paid a price. Three main rotation players, Austin Reaves, Luka Doncic and Collin Sexton, all suffered second-half injury scares.
Reaves exits with heel injury
Reaves’s injury was the most serious. He landed awkwardly after a missed fast-break dunk with 8:21 remaining in the third quarter and returned after a timeout. He subbed himself out with 5:20 left in the third, limped off the court and went to the back accompanied by Lakers medical personnel, and he did not return. He finished with 18 points on 6-for-10 shooting, five assists and three steals in 25 minutes.
Lakers coach JJ Redick said X-rays taken on Reaves’s heel at the arena were negative. Reaves will undergo further evaluation when the team returns to Los Angeles on Thursday, so Redick would not know more about his status until then. He did, however, rule out any concerns about Reaves’s Achilles tendon.
“No update on AR until we’ll have imaging tomorrow,” Redick said.
Doncic rolls ankle, Sexton needs stitches
Doncic turned his right ankle with 4:25 remaining in the fourth quarter. He was attempting a long jump shot and was fouled by the Bucks’ Kyle Kuzma with leg-to-leg contact. He appeared to avoid serious injury and still finished with 32 points.
“I’m good,” Doncic said. “Obviously painful a little bit, but I’ll be fine.”
Backup guard Sexton bumped heads with the Bucks’ Ryan Rollins and left the game with 6:51 remaining in the fourth quarter. Redick said Sexton needed stitches above his right eye.
Next-man-up mentality
Doncic said the Lakers would have to rely on depth in Reaves’s absence.
“I think we just got to have next-man-up mentality,” Doncic said. “Obviously, we lose a very, very good player. Hopefully it’s not — it’s nothing. We got to have next-man-up mentality.”
The schedule should give Los Angeles some time to recover. The Lakers do not play again until Sunday, when they face the Phoenix Suns on the road.