Austin Reeves Returns in Game 5 as Lakers Lose to Rockets

Austin Reaves returned from injury in Game 5, but the Lakers still lost to the Houston Rockets after a quiet offensive night that got worse after the first quarter. His return gave Los Angeles another guard option, yet it did not stop the slide when the shots stopped falling.

Reaves Back in Game 5

Reaves came back for Game 5 after missing time with injury, and the Lakers needed that help because they struggled to make shots and generate offense after the opening quarter. The return changed the rotation right away, with Luke Kennard going to the bench at halftime.

Kennard’s line showed why the move mattered. He scored one point on 0-of-4 shooting from the field and finished with two assists, far from the production the Lakers got when he opened the series with 50 points and eight made 3s on 11 attempts in the first two games.

Luke Kennard’s Swing

The drop-off did not begin in Game 5. In the three games after that strong start, Kennard was one of 11 from long range, and the Lakers lost his minutes in each of those games.

That pattern is the part that complicates the picture. Kennard can swing a playoff game when his shot is dropping, but his value also falls fast when it is not there, especially because the Lakers need his offense while his defense is difficult to hide.

Lakers Rotation Pressure

There is recent history behind the concern. In the 2023 first-round playoff series against the Lakers, Kennard averaged 25.0 minutes per game in the first three games, then played 13.6 minutes in Game 4 and 17.6 minutes in Game 5 before missing Game 6 with an injury.

Last year brought another tough stretch. In a sweep by the eventual champion Thunder, the Grizzlies were outscored by 18 points in Kennard’s 81 minutes, and he made two of nine 3-pointers while never scoring more than five points in a game.

For the Lakers, the immediate problem is simple: Reaves is back, but the offense still has to function around him, and Game 5 showed how quickly the rotation can tighten when Kennard is not making shots.