Austin Reaves enters hallowed Lakers territory with profession excessive

Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves, proper, celebrates with heart Jaxson Hayes after scoring through the second half of an NBA basketball recreation in opposition to the Indiana Pacers, Saturday, Feb. 8, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photograph/Mark J. Terrill)

LOS ANGELES — The primary 5 gamers to place up no less than 45 factors, seven rebounds and 7 assists in a single recreation for the Los Angeles Lakers had been Elgin Baylor, Jerry West, Magic Johnson, Kobe Bryant and LeBron James.

The sixth is Austin Reaves, who hit these precise numbers whereas main the short-handed Lakers to a 124-117 victory over surging Indiana on Saturday.

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Reaves is aware of what you’re pondering. He feels the identical manner.

READ: NBA: Austin Reaves carries Lakers over Pacers with out LeBron, Luka

AUSTIN REAVES: NEXT MAN UP 😤

🏀 45 PTS (career-high)
🏀 7 REB
🏀 7 AST
🏀 3 STL
🏀 4 3PM

Stepped up with the celebs out of the lineup to information the Lakers to their fifth straight win. pic.twitter.com/rK89oluMne

— NBA (@NBA) February 9, 2025

“It seems bizarre once you see my identify up there,” Reaves stated with a smile.

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It’s getting much less bizarre with every achievement by Reaves, who joined the Lakers undrafted out of Oklahoma 3 1/2 years in the past. He has grown right into a starter and a key contributor for his favourite workforce ever since he was a rural Arkansas child who idolized Kobe Bryant and wouldn’t let anybody dissuade him from his NBA dream.

When Los Angeles needed to play with out injured LeBron James and Luka Doncic in opposition to Indiana, the fourth-place workforce within the East, Reaves produced probably the most prolific recreation of his profession thus far. He hit 14 of 26 pictures, made 4 3-pointers and went 13 of 13 from the free-throw line whereas often initiating the offense down the stretch.

Throw in these seven rebounds, seven assists and three steals, and Reaves was in a position to carry the depleted Lakers previous a gifted Pacers workforce. No surprise Reaves heard late “M-V-P!” chants from Lakers followers grateful they received to see one thing wonderful even with James and Doncic in road garments.

James has a sore left ankle, and Doncic wasn’t fairly prepared for his debut. The Lakers had been nonetheless in upheaval from shedding Anthony Davis, Max Christie, Dalton Knecht and Cam Reddish in two deadline trades — and now they’re in much more upheaval after they rescinded their commerce of Knecht and Reddish for Charlotte heart Mark Williams later Saturday.

READ: NBA: Lakers maintain off Nets, Austin Reaves units career-high 38

What’s extra, Reaves has a sore left elbow that simply may have stored him out of his historic recreation. He solely determined to play via the ache moments earlier than the pregame cutoff time — and the Lakers had been grateful he did.

“I feel he’s been as necessary as any participant on our workforce,” Lakers coach JJ Redick stated. “I felt like he was the most effective participant on the ground tonight, and that claims quite a bit. He confirmed up in a big-time manner.”

Reaves received off to an enormous begin in opposition to Indiana, scoring 11 factors in lower than six minutes. He completed the primary half with 20, and he took cost once more within the fourth quarter, beginning it off with back-to-back 3-pointers earlier than ending the ultimate interval with 14 factors.

It was a exceptional efficiency by a participant who simply set his earlier profession excessive of 38 in opposition to Brooklyn final month — however Reaves is the primary to acknowledge his whole NBA profession has been one shock after one other. He has crammed a number of roles since he unexpectedly performed his manner right into a Lakers roster spot out of coaching camp in 2021.

“The trail that I took just isn’t typical,” Reaves stated. “There’s most likely solely a handful of those who thought I’d be on this place, if any. It wasn’t actually the favored factor to do to proceed to chase my dream. … If I can encourage youngsters that’s in my state of affairs to proceed to chase their desires, no matter it’s, simply do it.”

READ: NBA: Austin Reaves paces Lakers previous Kings

He’s now rather more than a shock, nonetheless: Reaves has averaged no less than 28 minutes per recreation in every of the previous three seasons as a frequent starter — together with all 44 video games this season below Redick.

Reaves can also be a part of one of the intriguing groups in Lakers historical past following their dramatic transfer to land Doncic, who might be Reaves’ backcourt-mate for years to return.

Whereas Doncic is anticipated to be the subsequent centerpiece of the Lakers, Reaves has develop into terribly precious as effectively — and he’s often making historical past.

“It’s surreal, as a result of I grew up an enormous Kobe fan, so I used to be mechanically a Laker fan,” Reaves stated. “Simply to have the ability to go on the market and put the uniform on and compete, after which to have a few these video games to the place my identify is in with these guys, is particular. It’s one thing that I gained’t take with no consideration.”