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The Los Angeles Lakers are putting Austin Reaves back in the starting lineup for Game 6 against the Houston Rockets.

Lakers reporter Mike Trudell reported before tipoff that Reaves will start alongside Marcus Smart, LeBron James, Rui Hachimura and Deandre Ayton. The move comes with the Lakers leading the first-round series 3-2 and trying to avoid a winner-take-all Game 7 after Houston extended the matchup with back-to-back wins.

It is also a meaningful adjustment because Luka Doncic remains out with a left hamstring strain, leaving the Lakers without their top shot creator as they try to close the series on the road. Reaves returned from an oblique injury in Game 5 and is not listed on the Game 6 injury report.

Austin Reaves Will Start In Game 6

Reaves’ return to the starting group gives the Lakers another ball-handler and scoring option next to James.

Los Angeles had been starting Luke Kennard during Reaves’ absence, leaning on Kennard’s shooting while Reaves and Dončić were both sidelined. With Reaves back, Lakers coach JJ Redick is going with a more familiar creator in a game that could end the series.

Reaves was not efficient in his Game 5 return, scoring 22 points on 4-of-16 shooting, but the bigger development was that he made it through the game without a reported setback.

That matters for the Lakers because Houston has turned the series more physical over the last two games. The Rockets beat Los Angeles 99-93 in Game 5, trimming what had been a 3-0 Lakers lead to 3-2. Now the Lakers need more than just James initiating offense possession after possession.

Reaves starting does not solve everything, but it gives Los Angeles a better chance to stabilize the half-court offense and reduce the pressure on Smart and James to create late-clock looks.

Luka Doncic is Still Out

The Lakers are still without Doncic, who remains sidelined by a hamstring injury.

Doncic is out for Game 6 with a left hamstring strain, while Reaves was no longer on the NBA’s official injury report. That leaves Los Angeles with a cleaner injury report than earlier in the series, but still without the player who would normally change the entire offensive math.

The Lakers’ challenge is clear: they have to close a playoff series without Doncic while asking James, Reaves and Smart to handle the creation load.

That is why Reaves’ starting role is more than a simple lineup note. He gives the Lakers another player who can run pick-and-roll, attack closeouts and put pressure on Houston’s guards. Against a Rockets defense that has found life in the series, that extra creator could be the difference between a closeout win and a Game 7.

Luka Doncic May Not Be Back For 2 More Weeks

The Doncic timeline remains a major concern beyond Game 6.

ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that Doncic is expected to miss the second round of the NBA playoffs if the Lakers advance.

That means the Lakers cannot treat Game 6 as a one-night patchwork problem. Even if they finish the Rockets, they may have to begin the next round without Doncic.

Kevin Durant Is Out For the Rockets

The Rockets are dealing with their own star absence.

Kevin Durant has been ruled out for Game 6 because of an ankle injury. Durant has missed the last three games after sustaining a bone bruise in his left ankle during Game 2.