Breaking Down Austin Reaves’ 3-Game Explosion
Image courtesy of ESPN.
By Sam Bergstrom
From October 26th to 29th, Los Angeles Lakers’ guard Austin Reaves electrified fans of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Following LA’s first win of the season, it was announced that their Slovenian superstar, Luka Dončić, would be sidelined for at least one week with a finger sprain and lower leg contusion. With LeBron James already out for 3-4 weeks to start the season, this required Reaves to step up as LA’s primary scoring and playmaking option for three games. All eyes were on Reaves, who was undrafted out of Arkansas in 2021 and has seen improvement each year he’s been in the league. Let’s break down each of Reaves’s jaw-dropping performances during his scoring surge.
On October 26th, the Lakers visited the Sacramento Kings for a late-night duel with their California counterpart. In the first half, Reaves cashed in 21 points, including a perfect 10-10 shooting from the free throw line. He made excellent drives and cuts to the rim, scoring effortlessly with both hands against Sacramento’s defense. To start the 3rd quarter, Reaves made a beautiful play, intercepting an entry pass and feeding Deandre Ayton in transition with an underhand dish for the easy jam. This play must have injected additional confidence into Reaves, because in the second half, he poured in 30 more points, including 5 three pointers and 11 free throws. The Kings’ defense progressively played tighter on Reaves as the game went on, but it simply did not matter: as the defenders grew in their respect, Reaves’s buckets became more disrespectful. In total, Reaves erupted for a career-high of 51 points, 11 rebounds, and 9 assists—a near triple-double. The Lakers took care of business on the road without James or Dončić, winning 127-120.
The next day, LA traveled back home to Crypto.com Arena to face off against the Portland Trail Blazers. The first points of the game came when Reaves converted a smothered, left-handed extended layup over 7’3” center Donovan Clingan, crashing backwards into the stanchion while doing so. This would set the tone for the game— many of Reaves’s baskets against Portland were similarly hard-earned. Multiple plays resulted in and-ones and three pointers with a Blazer right in his grill. Reaves showed out in front of the home fans, pouring in 41 points on 13-22 shooting from the field. Despite his gritty play, the Lakers would fall 122-108 due to a balanced team effort from the Trail Blazers.
After scoring 92 points over two days, Reaves kept his foot on the gas pedal. In a primetime showdown with the Minnesota Timberwolves, he not only showed his elite scoring ability but also his playmaking prowess. Reaves rifled accurate passes to his shooters behind the 3-point line, while also finding his big men both in transition and in the pick-and-roll game. Reaves was swishing and dishing all night, posting 28 points and a career-high 16 assists. He only had 3 turnovers for the game, a significant improvement from the 8 he committed against Portland. That being said, Reaves’s selfless play was outshone by his late-game heroics. After a valiant comeback effort by Minnesota, the Lakers found themselves down 114-115 with 6.6 seconds remaining. After receiving the inbound pass, Reaves weaved around a screen, split his defenders at the top of the key, drove into the paint, threw up a heavily contested floater, and watched it hit nothing but nylon as the buzzer sounded. Minnesota was left with a dagger in its heart as Reaves was serenaded by his teammates following the game-winning bucket.
Over this three-game stretch, Austin Reaves averaged 40.0 points, 5.3 rebounds, 10.0 assists, and 2.3 steals on 50.4% shooting. Reaves took full advantage of becoming LA’s number one option, showing fans across the globe his ability to be a floor general, score effortlessly, and play hyperactive defense with an invaluable clutch gene. It will be interesting to see how JJ Redick prioritizes the roles of James, Dončić, and Reaves once all three are healthy and playing together. Who knows? Maybe we will see three all-stars representing the Lakers come February.
