Mavs Deny Incorrect MRI Claim on Lakers' Austin Reaves Injury

Dallas says medical staff followed standard protocols in imaging Reaves' oblique strain.

Apr. 8, 2026 at 2:13am

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A fractured, multi-perspective painting in a cubist style, breaking down a basketball game or match into sharp, overlapping geometric planes of color without any identifiable elements.A cubist interpretation of the dispute over the handling of Austin Reaves' injury, with the players and court deconstructed into a fragmented, geometric composition.Oklahoma City Today

The Dallas Mavericks have refuted Lakers coach JJ Redick's claim that their medical staff initially performed an MRI on the wrong part of Austin Reaves' body, leading to a delayed diagnosis of his oblique injury. The Mavericks stated their team followed standard imaging protocols based on the information provided at the time, denying any error in the scan.

Why it matters

This dispute over the handling of Reaves' injury highlights the importance of accurate medical assessments, especially for high-profile players, and the potential for disagreements between teams over such matters. It also comes at a critical time for both the Lakers and Mavericks, who are dealing with injuries to their top scorers as they jockey for playoff positioning.

The details

Reaves, the Lakers' second-leading scorer at 23.3 points per game, sustained a Grade 2 left oblique strain in the team's April 2 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder. He underwent an MRI with the Mavericks' medical staff over the weekend, but Redick claimed the staff initially scanned the wrong area, leading to a delayed diagnosis and a longer expected recovery time of 4-6 weeks.

  • Reaves suffered the oblique injury on April 2.
  • He underwent the initial MRI with the Mavericks' staff over the weekend.
  • The Lakers announced on Saturday that Reaves will miss at least the remainder of the regular season.

The players

Austin Reaves

The Lakers' second-leading scorer at 23.3 points per game, who suffered a Grade 2 left oblique strain.

JJ Redick

The Lakers' head coach, who claimed the Mavericks' medical staff initially scanned the wrong area during Reaves' MRI.

Luka Doncic

The Mavericks' star player, who is sidelined for the remainder of the regular season due to a Grade 2 hamstring strain.

LeBron James

The Lakers' third-leading scorer, who is sidelined for Tuesday's game against the Oklahoma City Thunder due to management of a lingering left foot injury.

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What they’re saying

“Our medical team followed standard imaging protocols based on the information provided at the time. There was no error in the scan performed.”

— Dallas Mavericks, Statement

“I don't know where the chain of command lies with Dallas imaging, but they scanned the wrong area. So (the mistake was) not on our end. We made it explicit what was supposed to be scanned, but they scanned the wrong area.”

— JJ Redick, Lakers Head Coach

What’s next

The Lakers and Mavericks will continue to monitor the progress of their injured players as they push for playoff positioning in the Western Conference.

The takeaway

This dispute over the handling of Reaves' injury highlights the importance of accurate medical assessments and the potential for disagreements between teams over such matters, especially when dealing with high-profile players and critical injuries at a crucial time in the season.