A regular-season win doesn’t normally account for much. Over an 82-game campaign, one victory in the middle of December isn’t usually a cause for major celebration.
But on Wednesday, the Lakers locker room was torn to shreds after players went wild for rookie Austin Reaves.
In overtime against Dallas, Reaves nailed an impressive-looking jumper with less than a second to go on the clock. It was enough to seal the win for the Lakers, who are now 16-13 on the season.
Unable to contain their excitement, the Lakers veterans made sure to let Reaves know how big the moment was.
The Lakers' locker room congratulating the rookie 😂
(via @Lakers)pic.twitter.com/gcunkAAgl2
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) December 16, 2021
Lakers promoted Austin Reaves to light-skin after his game-winner 😭😭 pic.twitter.com/JMwQTOuXXs
— LakeShowYo (@LakeShowYo) December 16, 2021
This season, the Lakers are far from the dominant squad many fans expected to see. Instead, these first few weeks have been headlines by flaws and questions about the future.
Still, even while most have doubted, some have never lost faith that the Lakers can turn things around.
“We know that if LeBron was here, our record would be maybe 7 losses,” said Metta Saandiford-Artest. “And he would have probably had more 30-point games. It’s just amazing that he’s taking so much importance on his career and want to finish off strong. Melo wants to finish off strong.”
“And it’s just so impressive to see. And that’s why I think that these guys are going to be champions because it’s something special about this season. It’s failure, your failure to be successful because of adversity. And that’s why there’s something special happening here.”
At this point, it’s still too early to say whether or not the Lakers will turn their season around. But if you’re looking for a sign, this could be it.
After tonight’s win, the 17x Champs have won 3 straight and are 7-3 in their last 10 games.
With LeBron James, Antony Davis, Russell Westbrook, and a supporting cast that is finally starting to wake up, this team could make a habit out of earning Ws.
