Austin Reaves delivered one of the most memorable performances of his career on Sunday, scoring a career-high 51 points to lead the Lakers past the Sacramento Kings 127–120 — and it all started with a playful text from Luka Doncic.
With Doncic sidelined due to a finger sprain and leg contusion, the two guards exchanged some friendly trash talk ahead of the game.
“I went to the free throw line and thought, I better not miss this,” Reaves said in a post-game press conference. “Me and him, our whole relationship is just talking trash back and forth. Towards the end of the conversation, he was like ‘I need 60 tonight’ and I was like hahaha.”
While Reaves didn’t hit 60, his 51-point outburst was more than enough to make a statement — and even gave him bragging rights over Doncic, who had scored 49 points in his previous outing.
With LeBron James also out, the Lakers desperately needed someone to step up. Reaves carried the offense, hitting clutch shots down the stretch and helping Los Angeles secure the hard-fought victory.
