After six long weeks on the sideline, Austin Reaves finally made his return and the Lakers immediately looked whole again. Los Angeles rolled past the Brooklyn Nets 125-109 on Tuesday night, but the biggest lift of the evening came from seeing their starting guard back in action following a nagging calf strain. Off the court, the moment carried just as much meaning.

“6 weeks later, and my show is back on,” Reaves’ girlfriend Jenna Barber posted on her Instagram story alongside a photo of the game on her TV. The message was simple and drama-free—just a quiet celebration of relief after a frustrating stretch away from the floor.

That six-week time period has been taxing for all parties. Reaves was sidelined on Christmas Day when he reaggravated a calf injury from earlier this season, resulting in a frustrating stretch that dragged on longer than expected.

In his absence, the Lakers tried to patch things together with various lineup changes to build up their defense, including benching Rui Hachimura in favor of Marcus Smart. Unfortunately, things hadn’t gone well. LA sat 5-5 in their last 10 games, and had slipped to sixth in the West since losing Reaves.

However, this isn’t the first time Reaves has battled back from a major injury layoff. During his college days at Wichita State, he underwent surgeries for torn labrums in both shoulders—first his left before freshman year, then his right after it—limiting him to reserve roles early on (4.1 PPG as a freshman).

Despite those setbacks, he showed resilience, posting a career-high 23 points in a key sophomore win over Tulsa while shooting efficiently from deep. Those comebacks foreshadowed his eventual breakout at Oklahoma and rise in the NBA, suggesting fans can expect Reaves to regain his career-best form (26.6 PPG pre-injury this season) as he shakes off rust.

Off the court, Reaves has had another constant source of support throughout his journey. The couple has been dating for almost 12 years, meeting in 2014 at Cedar Ridge High School in New Jersey.

Their relationship has endured the challenges of his NBA career, including frequent separations due to the demanding schedule. “& back to long distance Miss you already,” Barber had posted on Instagram before LA started a road trip earlier this season.

Austin Reaves Returns as Los Angeles Lakers Cruise Past Struggling Brooklyn Nets

Austin Reaves didn’t need a long ramp-up to be back. In his first game back after missing 19 straight, the breakout guard settled in well, scoring 15 points on a minutes restriction off the bench, as the Lakers steamrolled the Nets.

While Luka Doncic and LeBron James took on volume and usage, Reaves used the night to build rhythm, looking relatively comfortable from the start.

Though his shooting wasn’t quite back to normal, and he turned the ball over a bit too much, he did manage to make his way to the foul line consistently, generating easy points that the Lakers quickly took advantage of.

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LA started off on a 45-point first quarter, scoring 69 points by halftime, through a combined effort from Doncic, who torched the Nets with early jumpers, and James, who controlled the pace by attacking the rim.

Their tandem let Reaves pick his spots and blend back in seamlessly without forcing the issue as LA shot efficiently (54.1%).

By the time head coach JJ Redick pulled Reaves from the game, the result was already decided, but his presence mattered more than the numbers.

After weeks of waiting, LA finally looked somewhat whole again, and in a game that quickly turned into a blowout, Reaves’ smooth return stood out as one of the night’s major developments.

Next up, the Lakers return to Crypto.com Arena to face off against the Philadelphia 76ers.