Austin Reaves found himself at the center of attention Friday night, but not for the reasons anyone expected. Late in the fourth quarter of a tight Lakers Mavericks matchup, cameras caught him chatting with Kyrie Irving in the corner during a live possession. It was a strange moment in a one-point game, and it quickly raised questions about focus with the clock winding down.
JJ Redick was NOT happy that Austin Reaves was standing in the corner talking to Kyrie Irving during the game
“AR, AR, AR, AR, ARRRRRRRRRR”
(h/t @MrBuckBuckNBA) pic.twitter.com/zjUP5aIQp5
— Fullcourtpass (@Fullcourtpass) November 29, 2025
The viral clip spread quickly, showing JJ Redick shouting from the sideline to get Reaves’ attention as the play continued behind him. The reaction told the story. Redick was frustrated, the bench was animated, and Reaves’ quick exchange with Irving left fans debating what happened and why it occurred at such a critical point in the game.
While lapses like these are not uncommon, Reaves is usually someone who does not have to worry about losing his focus. He knows how costly they can be, and so does JJ Redick, which is why we saw him so animated on the sidelines.
Still, Reaves more than made up for the moment with one of the best performances of his career. He finished with 38 points on 80 percent shooting and 75 percent from three while leading all scorers. The Lakers rode his hot hand and closed the game on a dominant 20-7 run, ultimately securing a 129-119 win over Dallas and keeping momentum rolling in the West.
Austin, who went undrafted in 2021, has been the story of the season for Los Angeles, with averages of 28.5 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 6.7 assists per game on 51.6 percent shooting (34.8 percent from three). Behind Luka Doncic, he has been the star of the show and a consistent offensive threat for the Lakers.
His play has been huge amid the absences of LeBron James and other teammates, powering the Lakers to the second-best record in the West (14-4). As winners of six straight, the team is rolling right now, but coach Redick will not let anyone get away with dozing off during live plays.
In his short tenure as coach, Redick has taken the no-nonsense approach to coaching, and it applies to everyone on the team. While people have raved about his communication and intelligence, Redick has instilled a championship culture in the locker room that demands the best out of all his players.
The result is a Lakers team that is more locked in than ever. With solid execution and group coordination throughout the rotation, Redick must be happy with where his team is. Still, it does not mean things are perfect.
During those rare slip-ups, Redick will be the first to call out his guys, and we saw that firsthand on Friday night. If he is not afraid to call Reaves out like that, there is no doubt he will do the same to any other Lakers player.
Reaves will learn from the moment, and the Lakers will move on knowing they have the right pieces in place to keep winning. His production has been too important to overlook, and Redick’s standard has clearly elevated the entire group. If this balance of accountability and star-level play continues, Los Angeles will remain one of the toughest teams to deal with in the West.
