Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves said he “kind of probably blacked out” as his buzzer-beater found the bottom of the net in Wednesday’s 116-115 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The 27-year-old nailed a floater as time expired to lift his team to its third victory.
“I don’t remember seeing the ball going in the basket,” he said, per The Athletic’s Dan Woike. “For some reason, I knew it when in the basket kind of probably blacked out a little bit and then I looked down towards the beach and everybody is running towards me. It’s just a good feeling. You know, the camaraderie that we have, that we’ve built in a short period of time has been great, and we’re going to continue to do that.”
Lakers head coach JJ Redick labeled Reaves a “bad dude” due to what he’s doing on the court.
“He did that last year. I think leaguewide, he was viewed as a really good player. Maybe some people viewed him — what tier he is, I don’t know. I don’t care about that. But last year, I think he established himself as a bad dude,” Redick said, per Woike. “He’s done it. For me, I think the big thing is he’s established himself as the leader. He’s one of the leaders — or the leader — on the court. And that’s big time. That’s what we want. That’s what we need from him, and he’s done that.”
Reaves quipped in his postgame interview with ESPN that he expected LeBron James and Luka Dončić to keep him humble after he shot 9-of-24 from the field:
The fifth-year veteran also made sure to share the credit and singled out Jake LaRavia.
“We wouldn’t have been in that position [to win] if it wasn’t for everybody that chipped in tonight,” he said, per ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. “Jake was monstrous. I think that’s the best basketball game I’ve seen him play since he’s been in the league.”
Reaves had a team-high 28 points and dished out 16 assists to earn his second double-double of the season. LaRavia’s 27 points were only five away from tying his personal best.
LaRavia’s outing followed a forgettable performance in Monday’s 122-108 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers. He finished with three points on 1-of-6 shooting.
According to Woike, Reaves reached out with a message of encouragement.
“Keep your head up big dog,” he said to LaRavia. “I don’t care if you miss a hundred shots in a row. Keep shooting that b—h. You’re open. We need you right now. You’ve been great. Flush the last one.”
Reaves reflected on how he has naturally assumed more of a leadership role.
“If you asked me two years ago if I said that to somebody, if it meant anything, I don’t know if it would’ve,” he told Woike. “But like I do feel now that it is impactful to encourage these guys.”
Lakers fans probably grew a bit worried when they learned James would be sidelined for up to a month with a sciatica issue in his back. Dončić suffered a sprained finger that also has him sidelined.
When four games was the difference between the second-place Houston Rockets and Memphis Grizzlies in eighth last year in the West, any amount of time LeBron and/or Luka is out could be crucial for L.A.
Reaves has been massive in the opening stretch to mitigate that problem. He probably won’t sustain the 34.2 points and 10 assists he’s averaging, but he has recognized the need for somebody to step up and shoulder the scoring and playmaking load James usually carries.
Should the Lakers secure a top-four seed by a slim margin, Reaves’ early efforts will be even more valuable in retrospect.
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