LA Lakers superstar guard Luka Doncic had high praise for his teammate Austin Reaves following Monday’s 125-109 home victory over the San Antonio Spurs. Reaves’ sustained high-level play on the second night of a back-to-back left Doncic questioning how the rest of the NBA overlooked the rising star.
Reaves tallied a game-high 30 points, seven rebounds, six assists, two steals and five 3-pointers, shooting 12-for-21 (57.1%). His star-caliber production helped LA overcome the absence of superstar forward LeBron James (groin) and Doncic’s shooting woes.
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Despite nearly recording a triple-double (21 points, nine rebounds and 14 assists), Doncic shot just 5-for-20 (25.0%). After the contest, the five-time All-Star appeared relieved that Reaves picked up the slack.
When asked what he likes about Reaves’ approach to the game, Doncic underscored his offensive prowess on limited rest.
“I mean, this guy just scored 30 in his fourth game in five days. That explains everything,” Doncic said.
The Slovenian megastar also pondered how Reaves went undrafted in the 2021 NBA draft.
“He’s an amazing player. For him to go undrafted is unbelievable,” Doncic said. “It’s not easy to go undrafted and play at this level, and it’s amazing just to be by his side.”
Monday’s outing marked Reaves’ fourth in a row amassing 28-plus points, with LA securing victories in the last two. Given his increased output, the four-year, $53.8 million contract he signed in 2023 is arguably shaping up to be one of the league’s best-value deals.
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Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves-led Lakers appear poised to stay afloat until LeBron James’ return
With Monday’s victory, LA (42-25) moved back into a top-four seed in the relentless Western Conference standings with 15 games remaining.
The team appeared in jeopardy of slipping after dropping its first three tilts following LeBron James’ groin injury. However, its two-game winning streak has seemingly righted the ship, with James expected to remain sidelined for at least one more week.
The Lakers will look to extend their winning streak to three games on Wednesday when they host the West’s third-seeded Denver Nuggets (44-25). They trail Denver by only one game, adding potential playoff implications to the showdown.
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Edited by Tristan Rawcliffe
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