Despite rolling his ankle during the first half against the Raptors, Austin Reaves returned to the game and intends to play all 82 for the Lakers again this season.
Los Angeles returned to winning ways on Friday, beating Toronto 131-125 to earn their first road victory of the season. However, this Lakers win didn't come without some downsides.
During the second quarter, Austin Reaves rolled his ankle while guarding Gradey Dick and was sent to the locker room.
Reaves did return in the second half. While he wasn't very effective offensively and his mobility appeared limited, he seemed to be okay, considering that he rolled his ankle moments ago.
He ended the night playing 34 minutes, scoring 20 points and contributing six assists. After the game, he updated the media on the injury.
"Feel great," Reaves said. "I would have felt a little better if I didn't go 0-9 in the second half, but we won, so that's all that matters. First couple minutes after rolling it, I was in some pain. I had to come back here, do a little treatment, move around and it felt good."
This isn't the first ankle injury Reaves has dealt with in his career.
He missed a preseason game this October against the Milwaukee Bucks due to ankle soreness and was out for a couple of games back in the 2022-23 season with a right ankle sprain.
However, Reaves is as tough as they come, so it’s no surprise he returned and finished the game.
For fans wondering if he would continue playing during this road trip, Reaves didn't mince words.
"I plan on playing," Reaves said postgame. "I'm going to pull a LeBron and play all 82."
You have to love the toughness already on display from the Lakers during this early part of the season.
Anthony Davis jammed his hip during this road trip against the Cavs and had the same mentality as Reaves, playing through the discomfort and starting the next game.
As Reaves mentioned, LeBron James wants to play all 82 games and has perfect attendance so far. For Reaves, playing every game is an attainable goal.
He accomplished it last season and clearly wants to do it again.
Thankfully, this ankle injury won't end Reaves' regular-season consecutive game streak, which is at 114 and counting.
Hopefully, these days off and treatment will speed up his recovery and he'll be effective against the Pistons on Monday.
You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88.
