The Los Angeles Lakers have been the worst three-point shooting in the league during the 2023-24 season. They entered their Tuesday NBA In-Season Tournament quarterfinals matchup against the Phoenix Suns as team with the worst three-pointers made per game and 29th in the league in percentage from deep, but there Austin Reaves was, disregarding all analytics by drilling a dagger three late in the fourth quarter to give the Lakers a four-point lead in what ended up being a 106-103 victory.

Reaves hasn't exactly shot the ball well from deep this season either; he's shooting 31 percent from beyond the arc, well below his 39.8 percent last season, and the Lakers, before the 25-year old guard nailed the clutch shot, were 8-29 from three. Thus, for Reaves to pull up from three in that situation takes a lot of guts, which D'Angelo Russell acknowledged in hilarious fashion when he crashed the 25-year old guard's postgame presser.

“Big nuts!” Russell screamed out, eliciting laughter from all over the room, including from Austin Reaves.

If there's someone who knows about crunch-time exploits, it's D'Angelo Russell. After all, the Lakers starting point guard made waves early in his career by introducing the timeless “ice in my veins” celebration that remains very much ingrained in hooper culture. Russell knows the guts it takes to shoulder some late-game responsibility, and to Austin Reaves' credit, he's not lacking in courage at all.

Having “big nuts”, as Russell would say, is also a funny reference for Lakers fans; after all, who'll forget the time where LeBron James, after hitting a clutch triple in November 2021, pulled out Sam Cassell's iconic “big balls” dance and promptly got fined for it. Would Reaves dare to follow in James' footsteps in that regard? It'll be funny if he does, as it won't cost him as much as it would have done in the past as he's now the proud owner of a four-year, $54 million deal.

The Lakers' decision to bring Reaves off the bench is clearly paying off, as the 25-yar old guard is regaining his confidence, and now, the entire team continues to have trust in his ability to deliver in big moments.