Lakers’ JJ Redick pinpoints flaw that can be addressed once Austin Reaves returns

The Los Angeles Lakers have failed to complete the series sweep against the Houston Rockets, as they scuffled almost all night long and fell off the pace entirely in the third quarter. They ended up losing by a convincing 19-point margin, 115-96, as the series heads back to LA for another closeout attempt from the Purple and Gold.

The Lakers’ usual heavy hitters in the series could not hit a lick in Game 4; LeBron James struggled to the tune of 10 points on 2-9 shooting from the field, while Luke Kennard and Marcus Smart combined for 16 points on 6-16 shooting.

The team’s brightest spot, Deandre Ayton, even found himself ejected from the game due to a flagrant foul penalty two courtesy of an elbow towards Alperen Sengun’s face, which simply made matters worse for LA.

The good news is that Game 5 of the Lakers-Rockets first-round series won’t be until Wednesday at 10:00 PM E.T. This is opening up the door for a potential return from Austin Reaves, whom many reports indicate is close to healing from his oblique injury. Should Reaves return, he would make life so much easier for the Lakers in these two aspects of the ballgame.

“I think that’s the biggest challenge we have, is just ball handling and downhill drivers,” Lakers head coach JJ Redick said in his postgame presser, via Benjamin Royer of the Orange County Register.

Indeed, Reaves would help make life easier for James, Kennard, and Smart, all of whom receive constant pressure from the Rockets’ rangy and lengthy defenders. James turned the ball over eight times in their Game 4 loss, indicating that he shouldn’t be handling the ball from end to end anymore the way he did in this stage of his career.

With two full days before the start of Game 5, the Lakers could very well be set up to finish the job, especially if Reaves were to return.

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