Game 3 Preview: Injury Updates for Reaves, Durant as Series Shifts

Reaves boost for Lakers? 

With LeBron James leading at 41, Lakers won first two at home and may get Austin Reaves back for Game 3. Durant’s status also in doubt.

Lakers guard Austin Reaves may return for Game 3 against the Houston Rockets...

Leading 2-0 over the Phoenix Suns in their first-round NBA playoff series, the Los Angeles Lakers could get Austin Reaves back from injury for Game 3.

 

Reaves has been out with an oblique injury since April 4 - a tough late-season hit for a Lakers squad already missing league-leading scorer Luka Doncic, who’s been sidelined by a hamstring strain.

Still, behind 41-year-old LeBron James, the Lakers took the first two games at home in their best-of-seven Western Conference series. They’ll look to build on that lead when the series moves to Phoenix on Friday.

Reaves, who put up a career-high 23.3 points per game in the regular season, was listed as “questionable” on the Lakers’ Thursday evening injury report. Suns star Kevin Durant was also downgraded to “questionable” due to a sprained left ankle.

Durant, who moved to Houston from Phoenix last July in a blockbuster seven-team trade, was ruled out late for Game 1 with a bruised knee.

BREAKING: Austin Reaves has been upgraded to QUESTIONABLE for tomorrow's Game 3 between the Lakers and Rockets.

— Brett Siegel (@BrettSiegelNBA) April 23, 2026

He came back for Game 2 but faded after halftime, managing only three of his team-high 23 points in the second half. He also committed nine turnovers as the Lakers consistently sent double-teams his way.

The series was framed as the latest chapter in the James-Durant rivalry, a matchup dating to 2008 that includes three NBA Finals meetings.