Luka Doncic finished just shy of hitting the 50-point mark in the Los Angeles Lakers‘ impressive 128-110 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves at Crypto.com Arena on Friday. Doncic missed a free throw that would have gotten him 50, and Austin Reaves trolled him for the miss on the Slovenian’s Instagram post about the win.
“Make a free throw,” Reaves wrote.
“Shut up,” Doncic replied.
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This wasn’t the only occasion where Reaves was messing with Doncic on the night, either. The five-time All-Star got a standing ovation from all but one of his Lakers teammates after he came out of the game.
🐐🐐🐐💯💯💯🫡🫡🫡@lukadoncic https://t.co/YT2vL1rJzA pic.twitter.com/0aV3RK9o7L
— Asaad (@asaadkamal) October 25, 2025
These two certainly appear to have developed a great relationship in their relatively short time as teammates. They were great together on the court as well against the Timberwolves.
Doncic had 49 points (14-23 FG), 11 rebounds, and eight assists on the night. Lakers head coach JJ Redick had given the 26-year-old four opportunities to get to 50, but he wasn’t able to get the job done. Still, Doncic made team history by starting this campaign with back-to-back 40-point games. He is also the fourth player in NBA history to have achieved this feat, joining Wilt Chamberlain, Michael Jordan, and Anthony Davis.
As for Reaves, he put up 25 points (9-15 FG), seven rebounds, and 11 assists. The 27-year-old also had just one turnover, and that is a recipe for success.
Doncic and Reaves had received a fair bit of criticism after the Timberwolves eliminated the Lakers in five games in the first round of the playoffs last season, and they balled out here. While this win doesn’t make amends for the early exit, it was still a statement victory at this early stage of the campaign, especially with LeBron James still on the sidelines with sciatica.
Austin Reaves And Luka Doncic Teased Each Other Before Opening Day
Reaves and Doncic have been jokingly going at each other for a little while now. They were teasing each other when the latter was getting ready to speak to reporters before the opening day of the season.
“He’s my favorite teammate ever,” Reaves said. “Sike!”
“He’s my least favorite,” Doncic said. “He’s a big kid. Very childish.”
Austin Reaves and Luka Doncic teasing each other before media availability. 😂 pic.twitter.com/R9WIkAVvAO
— Arash Markazi (@ArashMarkazi) October 20, 2025
The vibes sure are amazing. We’re likely looking at two of the cornerstones for the Lakers for the foreseeable future, and their getting along this well is great.
Reaves will likely hit free agency in 2026 after opting out of his $14.9 million player option for 2026-27, but provided the asking price isn’t astronomical, he should be back with the team. Doncic, meanwhile, signed a three-year, $165 million extension in the summer and is going nowhere. The big question is whether James will be playing alongside this duo in a year.
For now, though, the 1-1 Lakers’ focus will be on their next game. They take on the 1-1 Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center on Sunday at 9 PM ET.
