The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Dallas Mavericks, 107-104, in a thrilling overtime battle at American Airlines Center on Wednesday — capped by a last-second three-pointer. Not from LeBron James, Anthony Davis, or Russell Westbrook: but, rather, from undrafted rookie Austin Reaves.

Just as they drew it up.

Reaves has been the biggest surprise of the Lakers season. The rookie out of Oklahoma — who grew up on a farm in Arkansas — earned a two-year contract before training camp, and has impressed ever since.

By the end of preseason play, he found himself in lineups alongside LeBron, Russ, AD, and Carmelo Anthony — four Hall of Famers. Within a week of the season, he was playing crunch-time.

Reaves quickly filled Alex Caruso's role as an expert-of-the-little-things, make-the-right-play, two-way plus/minus lord. Then, he missed three weeks with a hamstring injury.

Over the past three games, he's worked himself back into the rotation, jumpstarted by the best game of his career on Friday vs. the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Well, before Wednesday.

Against the Dallas Mavericks — on the same day The Ringer's Mirin Fader profile dropped — Reaves was superb. In 32 minutes, he put up 15 points and seven rebounds and made five of his six three-point attempts (career-highs across the board.)

Of course, none were bigger than the final bucket: a should-have-been And-1 dagger from the wing with 0.9 seconds remaining in overtime.

Afterward, Reaves said surprising the world with his hoops prowess has defined his basketball journey.

“It's basically been the story of my life,” Reaves said when asked about the final shot. “I've always been underrated. Didn't go to a big high school so didn't get recruited much. But, at the end of the day, you gotta produce on the basketball court. For me to hit that shot, for my teammates to have the trust in me to hit that shot, it's very, very special.”

Reaves said what meant most to him about the moment was the “genuine nature” of his elated teammates in the locker room.

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“You don't see that much, especially with the type of guys we have on the team. Six Hall of Famers.”

The rookie couldn't help but call out the refs for the uncalled contact on Tim Hardaway Jr.'s closeout.

 

“I thought he fouled me, but that's besides the point,” Reaves said.

Sounding — and shooting — like a vet already.