Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves exited the team's Christmas Day 119-96 loss to the Houston Rockets at halftime due to a sore left calf. The team officially ruled him out, and Reaves was observed leaving Crypto.com Arena without a brace on his leg. He is scheduled to undergo an MRI on Friday, according to an ESPN source.

Lakers coach JJ Redick confirmed the situation after the game, stating, "Austin clearly felt something. We did our normal halftime and then as we were walking out of the locker room, Dr. [LeRoy] Sims told me he was out." This incident marks a recurrence of a recent issue, as Reaves had previously missed three games due to what the Lakers described as a mild left calf strain. He had only just returned from this injury on Tuesday, contributing 17 points in 22 minutes off the bench against the Phoenix Suns. Despite his return, Redick had indicated that Reaves would remain on a minutes restriction for the Houston game.

Before his early departure against the Rockets, Reaves managed to score 12 points on 5-for-8 shooting in just 15 minutes during the first half. Marcus Smart took his place in the starting lineup for the third quarter. The severity of the calf issue has drawn concern from teammates, including Lakers star Luka Doncic, who has personal experience with similar injuries. Doncic, who was sidelined for over a month with a calf strain after being acquired by the Lakers from the Dallas Mavericks in February, urged caution for Reaves' recovery. "I know how it is to go through a calf injury," Doncic remarked. "It's not fun at all. [I will] just be there to support him. Take your time. Calves are dangerous, so take your time."

This recurring calf problem has unfortunately interrupted what was shaping up to be a breakout season for the fifth-year guard. Reaves initially signed with the Lakers as a free agent in 2021 after going undrafted. Coming into Thursday's game, he was averaging career-best numbers, including 27.3 points per game on 50.4% shooting, along with career-high averages in assists (6.5) and rebounds (5.4) per game. Coach Redick had recently advocated for Reaves to be named to the All-Star Game for the first time in his career, highlighting his impressive performance and growth. Redick commented, "Him and I have had discussions just about how surreal it is for him to be playing at this level and in this position. I obviously absolutely think he should be an All-Star this year." The upcoming MRI will provide crucial information regarding the extent of this latest calf issue and its potential impact on Reaves' promising season.