It wasn’t the usual routine for Austin Reaves tonight, in his first game back since Christmas Day. He came off the bench tonight for just the second time this season, totaling a little over 20 minutes in restricted minutes on the floor. Still, after helping his team secure a 125-109 win on the road, Reaves had a lot to say in what was a very positive post-game media session.
“It felt good, it’s good to be back out here,” said Reaves. “I’ve been pretty bored for a month now, so it’s good to be back. I’m just trying to do the right things every day. Even though it’s frustrating, I trust in the process of what you’re doing. Because one day you might feel good and the next you might not. I wish I were back a little sooner, but it’s good to be back, and it’s miserable when I’m not playing. I’m pretty bored.”
Austin was on fire before his extended absence, cementing himself as the team’s secondary scorer behind Luka Doncic. He was clearly rusty tonight, but he still made an impact off the bench with 15 points, four rebounds, one assist, two steals, and zero blocks on 33.3% shooting (1-5 from three).
“I thought we played good basketball, we were obviously defending at a high level,” Reaves added. “They had 40 points in the first half. If we can continue to do that on a nightly basis, our offense is going to give us an opportunity to win a lot of games.”
The Lakers showed a lot of good signs tonight, and the feeling among the fans was very hopeful as they looked ahead to the upcoming schedule. While the opponents won’t get any easier (76ers on Thursday), they are entering an extended homestand that offers some much-needed stability in what has been a chaotic season.
“It’ll be great to get back and sleep in our own beds, play in front of our crowd,” Reaves added. “We went 4-2 on this trip? That’s a good trip. We had some really good wins and a couple of tough losses. It’s all learning experiences with getting back healthy, and it’ll be good to play in front of our crowd and get back home.”
Overall, the vibes were unmistakably good tonight, and it doesn’t take a genius to see why. While a win over the Nets isn’t anything to brag about, it was the first time this team was able to play without any major setbacks. They had their full lineup in Brooklyn, and the result was a Lakers team that was reminiscent of the squad that was gunning for the second seed early in the season.
Clearly, this group is just different with Reaves on the floor, and his return has opened up everything for the Lakers. His scoring and shot-making, even in limited minutes, were a welcome sight for a team that’s been starved of consistent shooters all season. Now it’s up to the Lakers to build on this win and remind the rest of the league what this team looks like at full strength.
