Austin Reaves has quietly built one of the most impressive clutch shot profiles in the NBA. The Los Angeles Lakers guard has developed a reputation for delivering in the final 24 seconds, especially on shots that tie the game or give his team the lead. The numbers tell the story.
Reaves is currently 8-12 in those situations, converting 66.7% of the shots in the final 24 seconds. That alone is an extraordinary rate, considering the pressure, defensive attention, and difficulty of the shot in late-game situations.
Every Austin Reaves shot to tie or take the lead in the final 24 seconds
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His first big moment came in his rookie season in 2021-22. In a game against the Dallas Mavericks. Reaves knocked down a go-ahead three-pointer off a pass from Russell Westbrook. The shot did more than secure the win. It showed the Lakers that the undrafted guard possessed rare confidence in the biggest moments.
Towards the end of the season, during a game against the Denver Nuggets, Reaves stole the ball, started the transition himself, and then finished with a tying lay-up that saved the Lakers. Two clutch shots in the same season quickly changed how opponents viewed him.
His second year in 2022-23 brought more. Reaves drilled a game tying three against the Houston Rockets off a pass from LeBron James. Later that same season, he floated in another tying shot against the Washington Wizards after breaking free inside the lane.
His first miss came later against the Milwaukee Bucks in the next season in 2023-24, when a deep three rattled out at the buzzer. Even that attempt showed the trust the team had already placed in him.
More big moments followed.
On Christmas Day last season in 2024-25, Reaves drove through traffic and finished a go-ahead layup in overtime against the Golden State Warriors. Another clutch basket came against the Chicago Bulls, where he gave the Lakers the lead late before Josh Giddey stunned the arena with a half-court game-winner for Chicago.
Even in defeat, Reaves kept taking the shots. In the 2025 playoffs against the Minnesota Timberwolves, he had a clean corner look in Game 4 that would have tied the game. The shot missed, marking only his second miss in those situations.
This season added more examples.
Against the Timberwolves earlier this year, with both Luka Doncic and LeBron James sidelined with injuries, Reaves hit a game-winning floater at the buzzer. He missed another tying attempt against the Phoenix Suns. Yet one of his most memorable clutch sequences came later against the Nuggets in the last game.
First, he was stripped on a layup attempt that would have tied the game. On the next possession, he intentionally missed a free throw, grabbed the rebound himself, and finished a difficult shot to force overtime. The Lakers eventually won the game.
Reaves’ rise extends beyond clutch moments.
He is producing the best season of his career, averaging 24.0 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 5.5 assists while shooting 50.2% from the field and 38.0% from three. A calf injury in December kept him out for a month and cost him his first All-Star appearance.
The Lakers still view him as central to their future. With Luka Doncic now leading the offense, the organization sees Reaves as his long-term backcourt partner. Their chemistry on the floor continues to grow, and the franchise is expected to reward him with a massive contract extension in the offseason.
For now, his clutch reputation continues to grow. When the game reaches its final seconds, the Lakers increasingly trust the ball in Austin Reaves’ hands.
