Los Angeles Lakers star Austin Reaves had himself a career-high night while leading the Lakers to a 127-120 win against the Sacramento Kings on Sunday night. With a 51-point performance to help the Lakers improve to 2-1 on the season, especially in the absence of LeBron James and Luka Doncic, the 27-year-old has accomplished something special. However, it still falls short of his personal best.
After the game, Austin Reaves was asked about the highest-scoring performance of his career. While addressing the media, the Lakers guard recalled that his highest scoring game was in high school.
“In high school, I scored 73,” said Reaves. “It was triple overtime. I shot a lot of free throws. I only made four threes that game. It was very high-paced. They full-court manned, run-and-jump, every possession, and we ended up winning 117-115 in triple overtime.”
Reaves recalled the finer details of the game, as he added, “The kid from the other team had 59. We tried to guard him. I guess they tried to guard me, too. There was no defense.”
Although his performance against the Kings may have fallen short of his personal best, it is safe to say that Reaves was by far the best player on the floor for the Lakers. In the absence of the Lakers’ superstar duo, the 27-year-old stepped up to the occasion and asserted himself as the primary scoring option.
Along with 51 points for the night, Reaves also had 11 rebounds and nine assists, while shooting 12-for-22 from the field, including 6-for-10 from deep. With a near triple-double outing to secure the Lakers’ second win of the season, the Purple and Gold appear to have hit their stride.
Austin Reaves’ Preparation Sets Him Up To Succeed
Austin Reaves is one of the hardest-working players on the Lakers. Considering his origins, going undrafted and working his way into the rotation through the Summer League and training camp, Reaves’ preparation before each season has been invaluable in helping his development.
ESPN’s Dave McMenamin asked Reaves about his preparation ahead of the 2025-26 season and what has helped him work his way into his current form. The guard responded, “I feel like I’m just playing the game I love. Trying to play the right way, do the right things on and off the court, and put the work in. You can’t take shortcuts.”
“My teammates and coaching staff let me be myself,” he continued. “That’s a big reason for why I’m able to go play the way I play. Because sometimes, I’m sure you all have seen it, it can look crazy sometimes. It’s kind of just how I play, and they never reel it back. They just tell me to do what I do, and that’s just been the message this whole summer for me.”
The collective influence of the faith shown by the coaching staff and his teammates has yielded positive results for Austin Reaves, who starts the season with an average of 25.5 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 10.0 assists per game on 58.1% shooting from the field.
Given that he is in a contract year, with a player option which he is likely to decline, Austin Reaves could be showcasing why he deserves a significant pay raise. Should the 27-year-old continue to remain this productive, especially if it results in wins for the Lakers, there is no reason for Los Angeles to deny him this.
