The Los Angeles Lakers had listed guard Austin Reaves as questionable for Game 4 of their first-round series against the Houston Rockets, signaling a possible return from the strained left oblique that had sidelined him since April 2.
His recovery had originally been projected to take four to six weeks, so a comeback at around three-and-a-half weeks would have been ahead of schedule.
Even without Reaves, and with Luka Doncic also unavailable, the Lakers had built a 3-0 series lead over Houston.
While Reaves had a chance to suit up in Game 4, Doncic had only recently resumed light on-court activity, with expectations pointing toward a potential return in the second round.
