Mavericks Refute Redick’s Allegation Of MRI Error On Austin Reaves
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LOS ANGELES — The Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday rejected Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick’s assertion that their medical staff imaged the wrong area of guard Austin Reaves’ torso during an MRI conducted over the weekend.
“Our medical team followed standard imaging protocols based on the information provided at the time. There was no error in the scan performed,” the Mavericks said in a statement initially released to DLLS Sports and later shared with ESPN.
After a Saturday practice at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Redick told reporters Reaves needed a second MRI to confirm a Grade 2 strain of his left oblique because the first scan targeted the incorrect region. “I don’t know where the chain of command lies with Dallas imaging, but they scanned the wrong area,” Redick said at the time, adding that the Lakers’ instructions had been explicit.
Asked about the episode before Tuesday night’s game against the Oklahoma City Thunder, Redick softened his stance. “In the end, we got the image we needed,” he said, noting the Lakers appreciated the Mavericks’ cooperation and intended to “move on.” A Lakers spokesperson declined further comment on the sequence of events.
Reaves sustained the injury during the first half of the Lakers’ 139-96 loss to Oklahoma City last Thursday but finished the game with a team-high 15 points in 27 minutes. The Lakers have ruled the fifth-year guard out for the remainder of the regular season. According to sources cited by ESPN’s Shams Charania, Reaves is expected to miss four to six weeks.
Los Angeles (50-28) holds the No. 4 seed in the Western Conference with four games left. The club trails the No. 3 Denver Nuggets by half a game yet owns the tiebreaker after winning the season series. Following Tuesday’s home matchup with Oklahoma City, the Lakers visit the Golden State Warriors on Thursday, host the Phoenix Suns on Friday, and conclude the regular season Sunday against the Utah Jazz.
Source: ESPN
