Austin Reaves scored 43 points on Sunday to lead the Los Angeles Lakers to a 121-116 win over the Detroit Pistons. This happened while star teammate Luka Doncic sat on the bench with back tightness. Reaves shot 14 of 27 from the field and made all 11 of his free throws. The Lakers improved to 9-2 on the season with this victory. They extended their winning streak to five games despite missing their top scorer. Reaves hit a deep three-pointer in the third quarter that looked just like something Doncic would attempt. “Honestly, when I stepped back and shot it, I was like, ‘This is some bulls— Luka would shoot,'” Reaves said, according to ESPN. The shot banked off the glass and went in. Reaves shrugged his shoulders after the shot went down. “I didn’t try to bank it in,” Reaves said. “It went in, so it looks the same in the stat sheet.”
The Shoes Filled
Doncic has missed two games this season due to back issues. He averages 40.1 points per game, which makes his absence huge for the team. The Pistons entered the game ranked No. 1 in defense in the league. Reaves stepped up to fill the void left by the league’s leading scorer. Collin Sexton scored 17 points off the bench to help the cause. Sexton noted that other players must rise when the star is out. “Guys have to step up when someone’s averaging 40,” said Lakers guard Collin Sexton. He added that Reaves was ready for the moment. “You got to fill the shoes and be ready to impact winning. And I felt like we did that tonight, and AR picked those shoes up and he wore them.”
Coach’s Call on Minutes
Lakers coach JJ Redick praised Reaves for his aggressive play style. Redick said Reaves attacked the paint and made good decisions throughout the night. “I thought AR’s decision-making, his aggression, his ability to just consistently touch the paint and get downhill was fantastic tonight,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said of Reaves. The game got tight late as Detroit cut the lead to one point. Reaves had played 28 of 33 minutes before he came out of the game. Redick chose not to bring him back immediately to keep the rotation consistent. He explained that players need to play through small slumps. The Lakers have now won two games without Doncic this season. The team continues its road trip on Monday in Atlanta. Dončić’s status for the game against the Hawks is not known yet. He will be re-evaluated before the team plays the Atlanta Hawks on Monday.
