Reaves had 25 points on 50% shooting, including going 3 of 6 from beyond the arc.
He opened the season playing All-Star-caliber basketball, looking like a breakout star. But after suffering a left calf strain that sidelined him for 19 games, the volume on his incredible start has been dialed down.
Reaves had 25 points on 50% shooting, including going 3 of 6 from beyond the arc. He was aggressive. He was hunting for the ball. He was looking for his shot. It led to arguably the best Lakers win this season and their fifth victory in their last six contests. With LeBron James retiring soon, the NBA must find a new face of the league Before Reaves’ extended absence, he was averaging 26.6 points on 50.7% shooting from the field, 6.3 assists and 5.2 rebounds a game. He was one of the NBA’s top 10 scorers. One of the biggest issues has clearly been that Reaves is trying to find his place in a crowded offense alongside superstars James and Luka Doncic. Before the All-Star break, the trio had only played 11 games together. Since then, they’ve been trying to find a rhythm after James missed the first 14 games of the season because of sciatica, Reaves missed every game in January and Doncic was sidelined four games at the beginning of February because of a hamstring injury. As the Big 3 has tried to learn how to effectively share the court, Reaves has looked a little less like Reaves. “I think the messaging to him has just been to be himself,” Redick said. “And I think sometimes when you miss time and there’s circumstances going on with the team that you can kind of be a little passive. … We want him to be aggressive. Every time he gets the ball, we want him to be aggressive and have a mentality to touch the paint.”He dazzled with fadeaway 3-pointers. He aggressively drove through the lane. He made sure he was a threat every time he touched the ball. “We just kept telling him, ‘Touch the paint, touch the paint, touch the paint,'” Redick said. “He was really strong today. … When people talk about physicality, we always talk about physicality on defense, but you need physicality on offense. And I thought he was very physical offensively and that allowed him to score the basket, allowed him to draw fouls. And they’ve got a lot of size and they’re a big team, and he did a great job.” It was a great reminder of the player who dazzled at the start of the season. You know, the one who had a 51-point, 11-rebound, nine-assist performance in the Lakers’ third game of the season, followed by a 41-point performance on 59% shooting in their fourth contest. “Hillbilly Kobe” was living up to his nickname. Reaves, who is eligible for a five-year, $241 million maximum contract extension with the Lakers this summer, was playing as though he was hungry to earn every penny of that deal. When he didn’t make the All-Star team, it was considered one of the biggest snubs in the West. As for Reaves’ mentality entering Sunday’s game? “Have fun,” he said. “Woke up, early game, I was tired when I got here. I just told myself to have fun. I don’t feel like I’ve played bad, I just haven’t made a lot of shots. I feel like I’ve done a lot of other things well. Just continuing to play the game the right way, and I feel like good will come to good.” But Reaves took things to another level Sunday. In addition to being the second-leading scorer behind Doncic , Reaves had four rebounds, five assists, three steals and one blocked shot. He was everywhere. Now, he just needs to figure how to play at that level alongside both of the team’s superstars.Reaves’ amplified aggression helped the Lakers secure a win of which they can be proud. The whole team was gritty. They were swarming. Entering Sunday’s game, the Lakers were 4-12 against opponents with a record better than .600, according to ESPN. They never even trailed When Reaves plays to his potential, things dramatically shift for the Lakers. That was evident in the team’s 15-4 start. And it was obvious Sunday. Rams make new acquisition highest-paid cornerback in NFL historyBills trade veteran cornerback to Raiders after announcing they would cut himJon Heyman
Sports California Los Angeles Los Angeles Lakers New York Knicks
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Austin Bar Reopens After Deadly Shooting, Proceeds to Benefit VictimsBuford's Backyard Beer Garden in Austin reopened Friday night after a mass shooting that killed three and injured others, with the owner donating weekend proceeds to those affected. Customers came to show support, and staff largely felt ready to return despite the trauma. New details emerged about the suspect, including a prior assault accusation.
Read more »
Four people displaced after Southeast Austin house fireFour people were displaced after Travis County Fire Rescue and Austin Fire units responded to a structure fire in Southeast Austin Saturday afternoon.Travis Cou
Read more »
Soros-Backed Texas DA Retreats Amid Outcry, Calls Austin Officers ‘Heroes’ in Deadly Downtown ShootingSource of breaking news and analysis, insightful commentary and original reporting, curated and written specifically for the new generation of independent and conservative thinkers.
Read more »
Luka Doncic scores 35, Lakers hold off cold-shooting Knicks 110-97 in LeBron's absenceLuka Doncic had 35 points and eight rebounds, Austin Reaves added 25 points and the Los Angeles Lakers overcame LeBron James' injury absence to grind out a 110-97 victory over the New York Knicks.
Read more »
Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves dispatch Knicks sans LeBron JamesThe Lakers, without LeBron James, earned a rare victory against one of the league's top teams in their 110-97 win over the Knicks.
Read more »
Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves carry LeBron-less Lakers to win over KnicksLuka Doncic scores 35 points and Austin Reaves 25 points as the Lakers overcome LeBron James' absence in a 110-97 win over the New York Knicks.
Read more »