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MRI Dispute
The Dallas Mavericks officially denied JJ Redick's claim that they scanned the wrong area on Austin Reaves' MRI.
“The Mavericks disputed Lakers coach JJ Redick's claim that their medical team examined the wrong part of Austin Reaves' body”
The Mavericks said they followed standard imaging protocols and there was no error in the scan performed.
Redick said they made it explicit what was supposed to be scanned but they scanned the wrong area.
Redick tempered his tone saying in the end we got the image we needed and we're going to move on.
Injury and Impact
Reaves suffered a Grade 2 left oblique strain and was ruled out for the remainder of the regular season.
He returned to finish with a team-high 15 points in 27 minutes after initially sustaining the injury.
The Lakers requested the Mavericks' medical staff to conduct imaging while in Dallas.
Reaves is the Lakers' second-leading scorer.
The team is also without Doncic and LeBron for the second consecutive game.
Wider Context
The medical staff accommodations reflect a common NBA practice.
“The Mavericks put out a statement that we didn't make a mistake”
The situation highlights complexities of dealing with injuries on the road.
Reaves' injury came in the same game that also sidelined Doncic.
LeBron James was also held out due to foot injury management.
The controversy over the MRI scans is expected to dissipate quickly.