Is Austin Reaves playing tonight against Miami Heat? Latest on Lakers guard's availability (Dec. 4)
The NBA serves up another tantalising matchup as the Miami Heat welcome Austin Reaves and the LA Lakers to the Kaseya Center on Wednesday. The Lakers' lineup has seen some shifts with the absence of key player Reaves, who's listed out with a pelvic injury.
JJ Redick’s tenure at the Lakers (12-9) is yet to ignite optimism among fans. Four defeats in the last seven games leaves them scrambling for consistency. The Lakers' struggles in defence and lack of cohesion have made Redick’s job a steep uphill battle. They are also battling injuries to key players, which has impacted their consistency.
Austin Reaves has been one of the bright spots in the team. The star guard has bailed the Lakers out on multiple occasions, like against the Phoenix Suns and the Toronto Raptors, and will look to make a significant impact once he returns.
Reaves suffered his injury when he was fouled on a drive to the basket on Saturday in the Lakers' 101-93 loss to the OKC Thunder. The shooting guard had to leave the game early after shooting his free throws and didn't return until the second half.
Before the injury, Reaves had started every game for the Lakers. He was listed as questionable for the last three games before being ruled out.
Meanwhile, Anthony Davis and Jalen Hood-Schifino remain questionable, adding to Redick’s selection headaches.
Austin Reaves’ stats vs Miami Heat
Austin Reaves has squared off against the Heat only five times, going 1-4 and averaging 12.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 4.4 assists per game .
In his first encounter in Jan. 2022, Reaves scored just two points in nine minutes. His highest-scoring games against the Heat came last season when he scored 23 and 24 points, but the Lakers lost both games.
What to expect LA Lakers vs Miami Heat?
The Heat’s dominance in recent meetings suggests they should feel confident heading into this matchup. In fact, Miami has won four of the last five meetings between the two non-conference teams.
However, given both teams' vulnerability and the league's unpredictability, this should be a clash of who rises to the occasion.
How to watch LA Lakers vs Miami Heat?
The Lakers vs Heat is slated for a 7:30 p.m. ET tip-off on Wednesday. For fans eager to catch this blockbuster encounter, the game will be broadcast live on NBA TV, SportsNet LA and FDSSUN. Coverage begins one hour before the tip-off.