Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves continued his breakout stretch on Wednesday night, delivering another strong performance in a 116-115 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves and joining elite company in franchise history.

With his latest effort, Reaves became the first Laker since Kobe Bryant in 2005 to open a season with five straight games of at least 25 points. The 27-year-old guard has emerged as the focal point of Los Angeles’ offense in the absence of LeBron James and Luka Doncic, keeping the team competitive early in the 2025-26 campaign.

Reaves finished the night with 28 points, a career-high 16 assists, two steals, and one rebound while shooting 9-for-24 from the field, 3-for-11 from three-point range, and 7-for-7 from the free-throw line across 40 minutes. His late-game heroics included the go-ahead floater that sealed the Lakers’ victory in Minneapolis.

Austin Reaves matches Kobe Bryant’s early-season scoring feat with dominant start for Lakers

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Through five games this season, Reaves is averaging 34.2 points, 10 assists, 5.6 rebounds, and 1.8 steals per contest while shooting 52.5 percent from the field, 38.5 percent from three, and 89.7 percent from the line. His all-around production has mirrored the poise and scoring touch that made Bryant one of the game’s all-time greats, underscoring Reaves’ evolution from undrafted prospect to centerpiece guard.

James remains sidelined with a sciatica injury that has kept him out since training camp. The Lakers announced prior to the season that the 40-year-old will be reevaluated in three to four weeks. Doncic, meanwhile, continues to recover from a left finger sprain and leg contusion, with both stars expected to return in November.

Under head coach JJ Redick, the Lakers have relied on Reaves’ scoring and playmaking to generate offensive rhythm during the early season stretch. The win over Minnesota improved Los Angeles to 3–2 on the season.

The Lakers will look to build on their momentum when they face the Memphis Grizzlies (3-2) on Friday night at 9:30 p.m. ET on Prime Video before returning home to host the Miami Heat (3-1) on Sunday. Miami enters the matchup averaging a league-best 131.5 points per game.