The Los Angeles Lakers executed a 110-102 win over the Portland Trail Blazers last night primarily because of two men – LeBron James and Austin Reaves. The duo combined for 72 of the Lakers 110 points to take over and ensure the Blazers don’t hand the franchise a loss with Luka Doncic absent.
James clearly appreciated Reaves contributing 32 points in the win, sharing a video of an edited clip from ‘Planet of the Apes,’ where an ape is whispering ‘Austin Reaves is him!’ in the ears of a human.
https://twitter.com/LADEig/status/1892838364111421467
This is just such a LeBron thing to post, but it shows how much he appreciated what Reaves is providing to the franchise. Reaves rose from second-round pick to starting guard within a season because of his on-court dynamic with LeBron, as the two seem to effortlessly play off each other.
Last night was the best example of this so far. Luka Doncic was resting to protect him from re-injuring his calf, so 40-year-old LeBron James sent a message to everyone by playing on the second night of a back-to-back. He dropped 40 points (14-24 FG) with eight rebounds and four assists, while Reaves complemented him with 32 points (9-21 FG) and seven assists.
The duo single-handedly carried the Lakers, as the only other Laker to score in double digits was Dorian Finney-Smith with 10 points (4-7 FG). This could’ve been an easy loss for the faltering Lakers, but instead was a triumphant celebration of James dominating at age 40 and Reaves emerging as a genuine third star.
Fitting Luka Doncic In Is Harder Than Expected
Doncic has played three games with the Lakers, averaging 14.7 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 5.3 assists on 35.6% from the field and 20.8% from three in those games.
That’s pretty rotten for a player of his caliber who averaged 33.9 points last season while shooting almost 50% from the field. What we’re seeing right now is a sluggish Doncic who’s trying to adjust to a new team while also returning from a soft-tissue injury.
The Lakers have been fine without Doncic available since making the trade to send Anthony Davis away. They’ve been the best defense in the NBA over the last 17 games, with JJ Redick’s philosophy settling into the franchise. They are staying competitive without Doncic or Davis, something many would’ve thought is impossible.
Doncic made it clear that he just needs more time with the Lakers to fit into their system while getting his health back to 100%.
“Obviously, it’s going to take a little time. Today, there was a lot of rustiness on my part. I started the game with like four or five turnovers. That can’t happen. Just gotta play basketball the right way.”
If he hasn’t fit in just yet, the next two games will be a trial by fire for Doncic. The Lakers take on the Denver Nuggets on Saturday before facing off against the Dallas Mavericks in a highly anticipated clash on Tuesday.
These are the games where we need to see the old Doncic again, especially the second game being his first meeting against the Mavericks after their cold-hearted decision to trade him away. If he wants to prove Dallas wrong, he needs to step up right now.
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