Austin Reaves put on a show in the Los Angeles Lakers‘ 124-117 win over the Indiana Pacers at Crypto.com Arena on Saturday and LeBron James was thrilled by what he saw. James took to Instagram after the game to praise Reaves on his career night.
“Flat-out Problem! That boy (cold).”
Well, Reaves sure caused a lot of problems for the Pacers, finishing with a career-high 45 points (14-26 FG) to go with seven rebounds, seven assists, and three steals. There was a lot on the 26-year-old’s shoulders with James and Luka Doncic both being out and he stepped up in a big way.
Reaves got off to a red-hot start with 14 points (5-6 FG) in the first quarter and his play was why the Lakers led 44-22 at the end of the period. The home team led by as many as 25 points at one stage but the visitors managed to fight their way back.
The Pacers had cut the lead down to 70-66 in the third quarter but the Lakers then went on a 22-6 run to pull clear, with Reaves scoring nine points in that stretch. He followed that up by scoring 14 points in the fourth quarter to ensure the Lakers won a game they were not fancied in.
The Pacers had won five of their last six games coming into this clash and were one of the more in-form teams in the NBA. The fact the Lakers beat them without James and Doncic is quite commendable.
While Reaves stole the headlines, Rui Hachimura also performed well against the Pacers, with 24 points (8-13 FG), nine rebounds, and one steal. James, who missed this game due to left ankle soreness, would have been delighted to see his supporting cast rise to the occasion in this manner.
The Lakers have now won five in a row and nine of their last 10 games. They improved to 31-19 on the season with this win and are on an absolute roll.
JJ Redick Praised Austin Reaves For Stepping Up Against The Pacers
Lakers head coach JJ Redick was asked about Reaves’ performance postgame and unsurprisingly sang his praises. Redick revealed he had told the guard he’d have to put in a special performance with the stars being out and he exceeded expectations.
“I think the biggest growth for him has been his leadership,” Redick said. “It’s something I’ve challenged him on, it’s something he wants. He wants that responsibility, he’s accepted it. He’s embraced the challenge.
“I joked with him before the game,” Redick added. “I said, ‘Bron talked to you?’ He said, ‘Yeah, Bron called me last night. Told me he’s going to be out. I said, ‘We probably need a 38, 8, and 8 game from you.’ And 45, 7, and 7 will do. That will do. So, he played awesome.”
Awesome might be an understatement, which tells you how great of a performance that was. It was the second-highest-scoring game from an undrafted player since 1988, only behind Fred VanVleet’s 54-point outing in Feb. 2021.
While it was a great showing, you can’t expect Reaves to play at this level consistently and fortunately for him, the big guns should be back soon. The Lakers take on the Utah Jazz at Crypto.com Arena next on Monday at 10:30 PM ET, and both James and Doncic are expected to feature in that clash.
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