Austin Reaves returns to Lakers against Nets after calf strain sidelined him since Christmas

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NEW YORK (AP) — Austin Reaves will play for the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday night in Brooklyn after missing the last 19 games with a strained left calf.

Coach JJ Redick said Reaves would come off the bench and play restricted minutes in his first game since Christmas.

Redick said the Lakers have missed Reaves in every facet of the game.

“He's an All-Star-level player and of course you're going to miss him in a number of ways,” Redick said.

Reaves may have been an All-Star if not for his absences. He missed three games with the injury in December, then was in just his second game back when he was hurt again against Houston on Dec. 25.

Reaves is averaging 26.6 points, 6.3 assists and 5.2 rebounds. Redick said the Lakers have had their full complement of players only twice this season, and LeBron James said after they lost Sunday to the New York Knicks that Reaves' absence made it difficult to evaluate the team's potential.

“Unfortunately our All-Star 2-guard has been out for a minute and that’s a big piece of our team,” James said. “So it’s kind of hard to see what we can really, truly be.”

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