The Los Angeles Lakers announced that guard Austin Reaves was ruled out of the team's matchup with the Houston Rockets on Thursday due to left calf soreness, per NBA insider Chris Haynes.

Both the Los Angeles Lakers and Houston Rockets may be without multiple key players in Thursday's Christmas Day matchup.

Smith, one of Houston's offseason additions, is expected to play his first game after recovering from ankle surgery.

And for today's article, we will continue with the 16th of 19 players who wore the No. 3, guard alum Chris Paul. After ending his college career at Wake Forest, Paul was picked up with the fourth overall selection of the 2005 NBA Draft by the (then) New Orleans Hornets (now, Pelicans).

Luka Doncic and Rui Hachimura return from injuries to join Austin Reaves, LeBron James and Deandre Ayton on Thursday for just the seventh time all season.

The MVP candidate is probable for Christmas Day's matchup with Houston. On the Rockets' end, they'll have more help in the form of Dorian Finney-Smith, who will make his season debut tonight, according to ESPN's Shams Charania.

The Lakers gave big injury updates on Luka Doncic and Rui Hachimura just before the opening tip of their Christmas Day game versus the Rockets.

The Los Angeles Lakers announced Austin Reaves has been ruled out against the Houston Rockets due to left calf soreness.

Reed Sheppard’s breakout reshapes Rockets’ trade deadline plans as Houston rethinks guard moves after VanVleet injury

When the Houston Rockets decided to trade away their franchise player at the time, James Harden, they knew they didn't want to bring in veterans in the trade an

This should be a win for the Rockets, but they will need to play better than they have been of late if they do not want to sink further in the West.