Austin Reaves made his return to the lineup for the Los Angeles Lakers against the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday, February 3. 

Reaves had been sidelined since Christmas Day when he suffered a calf injury against the Houston Rockets. 

In his return, Reaves, coming off the bench, played 21 minutes and contributed 15 points, four rebounds, one assist, and two steals.

There was optimism around Reaves returning earlier on the Lakers eight game road trip, but he didn't end up suiting up until the final game of the trip. ESPN's Shams Charania tweeted, and quickly deleted, that Reaves would make his return on January 28 against the Cleveland Cavaliers. 

Not only did he not return in that game, but he would also miss the next two games as well.

After the game, Reaves spoke about his return. 

He began by saying that it felt good to be back on the court and that he's "been pretty bored for a month."

Reaves said he was trying to do the right things every day in rehab, even though it was frustrating at times. "I wish I was back sooner, but it's good to be back."

Reaves went on to praise the team for their effort against the Brooklyn Nets, a game that they easily won, 125-109, saying their defense was great in the first half, and their offense will always give them a chance to win games. 

He said he was excited to get back to Los Angeles and play in front of the home crowd after not playing a home game since January 18.

In closing, Reaves was asked if he missed his friend Luka Doncic. 

"No, not at all," he replied. 

The Lakers are 16-8 with Reaves in the lineup, but the trio of Luka, Reaves, and LeBron James has played only nine games together. 

In those nine games, the advanced numbers aren't great as they have an offensive rating of 108.3 and a defensive rating of 117.1 when those three are on the floor together. 

In 35 games last season, they had a 111.9 offensive rating and 112.4 defensive rating when sharing the floor. 

In some good news, there has been a budding chemistry between Reaves and Doncic, as they have a 117.6 offensive rating and a 110.6 defensive rating as a duo. It's the LeBron and Reaves duo that has struggled dating back to last season, where they had an even net rating. 

This year, they have a -3.5 net rating. 

Reaves is enjoying a career year, averaging 26.1 points, 5.2 rebounds, and six assists in 24 games.