The Los Angeles Lakers narrowly defeated the Philadelphia 76ers 119-115 on Thursday night as guard Austin Reaves tallied 35 points, six rebounds, and two assists while shooting 12 of 17 from the field and five of eight from distance.
The performance served as another example of the growth Reaves has shown this season. Additionally, his stats have reached All-Star territory.
So far this season, Reaves is scoring 25.0+ points per game, grabbing 5.0+ rebounds per game, recording 5.0+ assists per game, making 2.5+ threes per game, and shooting 50 percent from field. According to OptaSTATS, only 3 others in NBA history have done that in a season: Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant & LeBron James.
“He was unbelievable,” Lakers head coach JJ Redick told Khobi Price of the California Post. “And it’s just his drives. I know he made 3s and hit a couple that were pretty incredible, but his drives and his thrust. Got to the free throw line, but just got in the paint and made plays and scored at the rim. It was great to see.”
Despite Reaves’ stellar play, the Lakers also experience an injury scare. All-Star guard Luka Doncic left the game in the second quarter due to left hamstring soreness and did not return.
“I don’t really know, I talked to him a little bit at halftime,” Reaves said. “I walked by him and asked him if he was OK. [He] kind of just looked at me, and I had to go play. Hopefully nothing major. We need him, He’s our best player. Hopefully we get good news [Friday], and I wish him nothing but the best.”
The Lakers are now 31-19 on the season, and it remains to be seen what the group will be able to accomplish with an empowered Reaves and a healthy Doncic.
