Lakers Win 123-112 Over Bucks as Austin Reaves Sustains Heel Injury

Lakers Win 123-112 Over Bucks as Austin Reaves Sustains Heel Injury

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The Lakers have hit a rhythm that most teams only dream of, securing their seventh straight victory in a 123-112 win over the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday.

The team’s dominant start to the season—an 11-2 record that currently stands as the best in the league—is now being shadowed by a wave of injuries to their core backcourt.

Austin Reaves, who has been a statistical engine for this team, left the floor in the third quarter and did not return. Reaves sustained a left heel injury after landing awkwardly on a blocked dunk attempt. While initial X-rays came back negative and tests have ruled out an Achilles injury, the guard will undergo further imaging to determine the severity of the setback.

The stakes are high. Reaves is currently enjoying a career-best season, averaging 23.5 points on 50.8% shooting. Alongside Luka Doncic, who is posting 38.6 points per game, Reaves forms the highest-scoring pair of teammates in the league.

Losing a player who just signed a maximum contract extension—and who has shown a history of playing through significant pain, such as the Grade 2 oblique strain he endured last April—creates a massive hole in the Lakers’ rotation.

The physical toll of the Lakers’ early schedule was on full display Wednesday. Beyond the concern for Reaves, guard Collin Sexton required stitches over his right eye following a collision with Milwaukee’s Ryan Rollins.

Later in the same quarter, Luka Doncic suffered an ankle injury while being fouled by Kyle Kuzma. Although Doncic stayed in long enough to shoot his free throws, his immediate reaction—grabbing at his ankle—briefly silenced the arena.

“We just gotta have next-man-up mentality,” Doncic said after the game. “Obviously we lose a very, very good player. Hopefully… it’s nothing.”

The current injury report extends further down the roster. Quentin Grimes has been sidelined for two consecutive games due to a sprained finger on his right hand, an injury that continues to cause swelling and hinders his shooting mechanics.

As the roster thins, forward Sandro Mamukelashvili has emerged as a necessary temporary replacement. After struggling to find his rhythm early in the season—hitting only 11 of his first 35 three-point attempts—he has suddenly caught fire, scoring 23 points off the bench for the second consecutive game Wednesday.

The team is clearly feeling the fatigue of a demanding travel schedule. Center Walker Kessler, who recorded his seventh double-double in eight games with 10 points and 11 rebounds, was blunt about the state of the squad. “We’re all ready to go home,” Kessler said. “I’ll just say that.”

Looking ahead, the schedule offers a brief moment of relief. The Lakers return home for a few days of rest before their next game Sunday at Phoenix. The team will not face another opponent with a winning record until Nov. 27. For now, the Lakers must wait on the medical results for their backcourt, hoping that a roster built for depth can weather the current storm of injuries.

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