LeBron James reacted to Austin Reaves' amazing performance following the Los Angeles Lakers' 127-120 win over the Sacramento Kings on Sunday night.
In 39 minutes of action, Reaves filled up the stat sheet in historic fashion. He finished with a stat line of 51 points, 11 rebounds, nine assists, and two steals. He shot 12-of-22 from the field, including 6-of-10 from beyond the arc, and 21-of-22 from the free-throw line.
The young guard made franchise history with his efforts, per NBA insider Brett Siegel. He became the 12th player in franchise history to record 50 or more points in a game and the eighth player in team history to make 20 or more free throws in a game.
James reacted to his star teammate's performance after the game on social media. He praised Reaves for his excellent game against Sacramento, giving him a clear label in the process.
“50 piece 🐔 nugget!!!!! That boy AR TOOOO TOUGH!!” James wrote.
How Austin Reaves, Lakers played against Kings
Austin Reaves embraced the top scoring option responsibilities with Luka Doncic and LeBron James on the sidelines. Thanks to his efforts, the Lakers improved to a 2-1 record after taking down the Kings.
The matchup went all the way down to the wire. Los Angeles had a 36-27 lead after the first quarter before Sacramento responded with a 35-26 outing in the second period to keep the game close at halftime. Both sides refused to create distance from one another, but it took Reaves' performance in the fourth quarter to make clutch plays and have the Lakers come out with the road win.
Free throws and rebounding played key roles in the thrilling showdown between two division rivals. The Lakers succeeded in both categories, making 41 out of 46 free throws while securing 47 rebounds. It wasn't the same for the Kings, converting 12 out of 18 shots at the line while grabbing 40 rebounds.
Five players scored in double-digits for Los Angeles, including Reaves. Deandre Ayton had his best performance to date as a Laker, putting up 22 points, 15 rebounds, two assists, one steal, and a block. He shot 10-of-17 overall and 2-of-4 from the charity stripe. Rui Hachimura came next with 18 points and three rebounds, Marcus Smart had 11 points and five assists, while Jake LaRavia provided 11 points and six rebounds.
The Lakers will look forward to their next matchup, remaining on the road. They face the Minnesota Timberwolves on Oct. 27 at 10:30 p.m. ET.
