Lakers News: Austin Reaves Hoping To Play Through Sore Ankle In Phoenix
Your 13-16 Los Angeles Lakers, without All-NBA center Anthony Davis, are hoping lady luck is on their side when they face off against the 18-12 Phoenix Suns tonight at Footprint Center. On Sunday, the Lakers vanquished the Washington Wizards, squeaking by with a 119-117 photo finish.
Beyond the absence of Davis, the team could also be without key role players Wenyen Gabriel and Patrick Beverley, plus Juan Toscano-Anderson.
The club's injury sheet is rapidly lengthening, however. Yesterday's starting shooting guard, Austin Reaves, and starting small forward, Lonnie Walker IV, both appeared to incur lower-leg injuries during the Wizards win, and both looked noticeably hobbled in the contest's closing quarter.
Mike Trudell of Lakers.com reports that Reaves, who rolled his ankle in the third quarter and was subsequently in and out of the team's locker room the rest of the game, is planning to suit up for tonight's matchup.
In postgame comments from that same Crypto.com Arena locker room, Reaves elaborated on his approach to the game and the injury's status going forward.
"There was no structural damage," Reaves said. "I didn't break my ankle. So I've always [been] taught, 'If it ain't broke, go play.' That's [what] my mom and dad used to tell me, so I'v always tried to play through nicks and bruises. That's what sports is about."
"As of now I'm good" to play tomorrow, Reaves revealed. "I tend to play just because I was always trying to play through little injuries here and there. That's what my parents taught me: 'If you can play, go play.'"
"We won, that's all that matters. Rolled my ankle," Reaves acknowledged. "It didn't feel good, but at the end of the day there's nothing I can do to hurt it worse, and that was basically my message to my guys on the training staff: 'Can I play?' They [said], 'Yeah, let's tape it up.'"
"Probably not gonna run perfectly fine, like it hurts... But at the end of the day, I want to win. And luckily we did that."
