Austin Reaves stole the spotlight for the Los Angeles Lakers, dropping a career-high 51 points to lead the team to a 127-120 victory over the Sacramento Kings on Sunday night. Despite missing stars LeBron James and Luka Doncic, the Lakers had no trouble thanks to Reaves’ all-around brilliance.
Head coach JJ Redick praised Reaves’ relentless competitiveness and love for the game as the driving force behind the performance.
“He was fantastic. He did a little bit of everything for us tonight… But just his tenacity to compete,” Redick said. “It’s so apparent, every single day he’s in the gym. He just loves competition, he thrives on competition.”
Redick also highlighted Reaves’ remarkable journey from overlooked prospect to NBA star: “This is a small-town kid from Arkansas, went undrafted, who last year averaged a 20-ball in the NBA and just had a 50-ball. These moments are incredible for him… He just lives in the moment and he’s ready for every single moment that comes.”
Reaves’ stat line reflected his dominance: 51 points, 11 rebounds, 9 assists, and 2 steals in just over 39 minutes. He shot 12-of-22 from the field, 6-of-10 from three, and an almost flawless 21-of-22 from the free-throw line.
Coming into the game, Reaves had been averaging 25.5 points, 6 rebounds, and 10 assists while shooting 58% from the field.
The Lakers now turn their attention to the second night of their back-to-back, hosting the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday.
