Winning the first ever NBA In-Season Tournament is another accolade for LeBron James to add to his legacy and a strong statement for Anthony Davis amid the public's constant second-guessing. But for the players on the back of the Los Angeles Lakers' bench, Saturday's win over the Indiana Pacers is truly life-changing.

“2-ways were like ‘this is a $150,000 game for us, we need you to win,'” Austin Reaves recalled while appearing on FanDuel's Run It Back on Monday morning, via ClutchPoints.

Players with two-way contracts bounce back and forth between the NBA and the developmental G League, so financial stability is on the top of their priority list. Their pleas to the Lakers' regular rotation guys were resoundingly answered in Las Vegas' T-Mobile Arena.

Lakers' Austin Reaves continues his own epic underdog tale

LA led almost the entire night en route to the 123-109 victory. James stayed in clutch mode and recorded 24 points and 11 rebounds before being named inaugural In-Season Tournament MVP. It was Davis, however, who shined as the game's biggest hero. He put forth one of his most dominant outings ever in a career full of them, scoring 41 points on 16-of-24 shooting to go with 20 boards, five assists and four blocks.

Austin Reaves seized a sizable share of the spotlight as well, as he battled through illness to score 28 points off the bench. He continues to be the X-factor for this team and a crucial complement to the superstar impact LeBron James and Anthony Davis provide.

Furthermore, the 25-year-old undrafted guard is an inspiration to all of the Lakers' two-way guys who are presently fighting for a roster spot just as he initially did in 2021. Reaves knows that role well and played himself out of it to the tune of a four-year, $54 million contract. This NBA In-Season Tournament prize money is stunningly a cherry on top of what is a compelling success story.