Dončić, Reaves exit with injuries in Lakers’ seventh straight win

Oct 8, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) and guard Austin Reaves (15) on the court during the first half the Sacramento Kings at Crypto.com Arena.MILWAUKEE — The Lakers used the third quarter to take control Wednesday night. By the end of it, Austin Reaves was out with a heel injury. Luka Dončić later followed him to the locker room.A 123-112 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks extended the Lakers’ winning streak to seven games, but the health of their starting backcourt became the more pressing concern as Los Angeles improved to 11-2.Dončić scored 32 points, and Sandro Mamukelashvili supplied 23 off the bench as the Lakers completed their third consecutive road victory. They outscored Milwaukee 33-23 in the third quarter to create separation, giving themselves room to withstand the late departures.Reaves finished with 18 points, five assists and three steals before leaving in the third quarter with a left heel injury. Coach JJ Redick said afterward that X-rays were negative, with additional imaging scheduled for Thursday.Reaves appeared to hurt his heel upon landing after a dunk attempt. He tried to play through it before heading to the locker room and was ruled out for the remainder of the game.Dončić gave the Lakers another scare in the fourth quarter when he twisted his ankle on a made 3-pointer while being fouled by Kyle Kuzma. With L.A. holding a comfortable lead, Dončić stayed in to attempt the free throw before leaving the game.His assessment afterward offered some reassurance.“I’m fine. Obviously it hurts a little, but I’ll be okay,” Dončić said. “We managed to win 3 games in a row on the road, so that’s really good.”Luka Doncic appeared to injure his ankle on this and-one bucket after a foul by Kyle Kuzma.He stayed in to attempt the free throw before heading to the locker room. pic.twitter.com/VeXqGryrEw— ESPN (@espn) November 12, 2026Collin Sexton also required treatment after a head-to-head collision, receiving sutures in his temple area. He scored 10 points in 13 minutes.The injuries overshadowed a night in which the Lakers showed how much help they could get beyond their starting backcourt.Mamukelashvili provided the biggest lift, making nine of 15 shots and five of eight from 3-point range. His shooting gave L.A. another scoring option alongside Dončić, who also made five 3s, and helped power a 55-point effort from the bench.That production mattered on a night when the Lakers did not shoot at their usual early-season level. They finished at 46.3% from the field and 37.5% from beyond the arc, finding other ways to sustain possessions and keep Milwaukee from closing the gap.Jake LaRavia went scoreless but grabbed seven offensive rebounds and finished with nine boards and a team-high six assists. Walker Kessler added 10 points and 11 rebounds, including four at the offensive end.Together, they accounted for 11 of the Lakers’ 19 offensive rebounds as L.A. finished with a 48-38 advantage on the glass. Those second chances gave the offense opportunities to reset when the initial shot did not fall.The Lakers also kept the ball moving, recording 32 assists on 44 baskets. Ziaire Williams contributed nine points, five assists and two steals without a turnover, while Jarred Vanderbilt added four points, three rebounds and a block.Defensively, L.A. collected 15 steals, with Dončić, Reaves and Matisse Thybulle recording three apiece. Milwaukee committed 18 turnovers and shot 43.8% from the field.Tyler Herro led the Bucks with 27 points and seven assists, and Jaime Jaquez Jr. scored 25 off the bench as Milwaukee fell to 1-11.The Lakers left with another win and an encouraging contribution from their reserves. Their attention now turns to Thursday’s imaging on Reaves’ heel and how much of their backcourt will be available to keep the streak going.