Austin Reaves was the hero of the Los Angeles Lakers’ win over the Sacramento Kings, but he was keen to point out that it was a team effort.
The Los Angeles Lakers’ 127-120 victory over the Sacramento Kings will be remembered as the “Austin Reeves game.”
Reaves scored a career-high 51 points and impressed LeBron James, who was sidelined, but Luka Doncic also missed the game with an injury.
Speaking after the game, Austin Reeves was also keen to point out the contributions of his teammates.
Deandre Ayton chose the perfect time to enjoy his best game in a Los Angeles Lakers jersey. He scored 22 points, outscoring Domantas Sabonis 15-14.
Offseason addition Jake LaRabia added 11 points off the bench.
Speaking to reporters after the game, Reeves praised the contributions of his teammates and said he couldn’t have done it alone.
Ayton also revealed that he set a standard that the Lakers need to emulate.
“Jake made some big shots, and I mentioned from the DA how big his performance was, going 10-for-17 and grabbing 15 rebounds,” Reeves said.
“He played like a monster tonight. That’s what we want from him every night.”
Reeves was excited about how the team stepped up without Luka Doncic and LeBron James, adding the importance of the Lakers’ togetherness.
“Gabe, Marcus, Band, everyone who got minutes tonight stepped up and made the plays we needed to be successful.
“You can’t just replace Luka and LeBron with one or two, like everyone has to participate. That’s what we did tonight and it speaks to the character of all of them.”
The LA Lakers may not be able to win without LeBron James and Luka Doncic every night, but they at least proved they can win.
Had they lost to the Kings, the pressure would have been on them to improve dramatically and even bring back one of their top stars on short notice.
The Lakers are currently 2-1, but face an even tougher challenge heading into their second night of back-to-back games against the young and athletic Portland Trail Blazers.
Ayton is looking to prove his point against his former team and is warming up well.