With both LeBron James and Luka Doncic out, the Los Angeles Lakers needed a hero-and Austin Reaves answered the call in spectacular fashion.
Reaves lit up the Sacramento Kings for a career-high 51 points, adding 11 rebounds and 9 assists in a performance that etched his name alongside legends.
He became just the fourth player in the last 40 years to post a 50-11-9 stat line, joining elite company: Luka Doncic, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden. The last Laker to do it? Elgin Baylor, back in 1963.
The Lakers were missing Doncic due to a sprained finger and bruised leg, while LeBron continues to recover from sciatica and isn’t expected back until mid-November.
Reaves was unstoppable at offense
But Reaves made sure their absence didn’t matter. He hit six 3-pointers-including the 500th of his career-and nailed four clutch free throws in the final 32 seconds to seal a 127-120 win.
Reaves scored 15 of his 51 in the fourth quarter, including a dagger jumper that gave L.A. a 122-116 lead with under two minutes to play. His teammates rallied early, with Rui Hachimura scoring 10 points in the first nine minutes and DeAndre Ayton finishing with 22 points and 15 boards.
The Kings fought hard, led by Zach LaVine’s 32 points and a balanced attack from DeMar DeRozan, Domantas Sabonis, and Dennis Schroder. They tied the game at halftime after a barrage of threes, but couldn’t contain Reaves down the stretch.
The team is happy with Reaves’ performance
“He was fantastic and did a little bit of everything tonight,” said Lakers coach JJ Redick. “He lives in the moment and is ready for every moment that comes.”
After the game, Reaves was mobbed by teammates in celebration. “It means a lot,” he said. “We play basketball for those moments, and for them to treat me like that is special.”
With two superstars sidelined, Reaves didn’t just step up-he stole the spotlight.
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