Ailing Lakers star ‘optimistic’ about return for Game 5 against Rockets

The Los Angeles Lakers surged to a 3-1 lead in their NBA playoff series despite the absence of stars Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves.

The 41-year-old LeBron James led the charge as the fourth-seeded Lakers jumped on the fifth-seeded Houston Rockets. In fact, the Lakers held a 3-0 series lead before the Rockets rebounded for a 115-96 win in Game 4 on Sunday, April 26.

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Now, Los Angeles is poised to get one of its top players back on the court for Game 5 at Crypto.com Arena.

ESPN NBA reporter Shams Charania wrote that Reaves is “optimistic” about playing on Wednesday.

“Reaves will be a game-time decision for the third consecutive contest, but there’s significant hope around his status, barring a setback,” Charania reported. “He has progressed in his rehab over the last one to two weeks, from one-on-one workouts to larger group scrimmages, sources said.”

Reaves, 27, last played on April 2 due to a Grade 2 oblique strain. He missed the final five games of the regular season and all four games of the first-round playoff series.

The fifth-year shooting guard averaged 23.3 points, 4.7 rebounds and 5.5 assists during the regular season. He shot 49 percent from the field and 36 percent from 3-point range.