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Dave McMenamin
LOS ANGELES — Lakers guard Austin Reaves has a left calf strain and will be reevaluated in approximately a week, the team announced Friday.
While calf strains routinely keep NBA players out of the lineup for a minimum of two to four weeks, the Lakers described Reaves’ calf strain as “mild.”
Reaves, 27, has had a breakout season up to this point, averaging career highs in points (27.8), assists (6.7) and rebounds (5.6) while flirting with the 50/40/90 club (50.3% from the field, 36.9% from 3 and 87.5% on free throws).
However, he experienced a dip in production over the Lakers’ past two games, averaging 13.0 points on 28.1% shooting.
Before L.A.’s 132-119 loss to the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Cup quarterfinals Wednesday, Lakers coach JJ Redick acknowledged the recent schedule had taken a toll on the five-year veteran.
“Our performance team mentioned that the two games back-to-back [in Toronto and Boston] and then Philly again, those were three very taxing games in terms of his both intensity and workload,” Redick said of Reaves.
The Lakers play three games in the next week, all on the road: at Phoenix on Sunday, at Utah on Thursday and against the Clippers next Saturday at the Intuit Dome.
Regardless of whether Reaves is in the lineup or not, the Lakers are in need of some urgency — particularly on the defensive end — after losing three of their past five games.
Redick said the team had a film session Friday to address some of the defensive issues that hurt L.A. against San Antonio, when the Lakers allowed the Spurs to score 35 points in transition, the most they allowed any team to score all season.
“I don’t think there’s anybody in that meeting room that thinks we’re a good defensive team right now,” Redick said, “but I also don’t think there’s anybody in that meeting room who thinks we can’t be a good defensive team. We’ve got to get better.”