HomeSportsAustin Reaves scores career-high 38 as Lakers beat D'Angelo Russell and Nets

Austin Reaves scores career-high 38 as Lakers beat D’Angelo Russell and Nets

Lakers guard Austin Reaves drives for Brooklyn Nets center Day’Ron Sharpe during the first half Friday at Crypto.com Arena. (Mark J. Terrill / Associated Press)

The time had come, the Lakers decided, to make a choice.

Since trading for D’Angelo Russell and playing him with Austin Reaves, the two guards have largely alternated in the spotlight around LeBron James and Anthony Davis. The touches, the shots, the responsibility – they were usually always distributed.

But gradually over the course of this season, that changed. Russell moved to the bench and Reaves became the primary ballhandler. And a trade with Brooklyn in December cemented it — the Lakers had cemented it.

Reaves would be their man.

Read more: LeBron James waved to the young fan sitting courtside during the Lakers game. Then she cried tears of joy

“He’s in his process and he takes the opportunity and he runs with it,” James said. “He literally runs with it. And I enjoy every moment he gets the opportunity to go out and show his talent to the best players in the world.” and he shows every night that he belongs. It’s beautiful to see.’

See also  Salary Cap projections Bring red wings in enviable position

Friday’s match wasn’t exactly pretty, but it was necessary.

In Russell’s first game in Los Angeles since being dealt to the Nets, Reaves had a career-high 38 points to carry the Lakers across the finish line to a 102-101 victory.

Russell had a chance to win the game – after a series of misses by Reaves in the final two minutes – but his final three-point attempt failed.

And while Reaves and James found it exciting in the fourth quarter, the game wasn’t nearly as easy as it could have been – and they knew it early.

James reversed past midfield and away from the Lakers’ bench after making a three-point shot to end the first quarter. He felt that something was not quite right in the building, that the rhythm was off and that the energy was flat.

So he threw up his hands and begged for cheers. The crowd, which had just experienced twelve minutes of basketball at its best, finally agreed.

Nothing came easy for the Lakers (22-17) against a team fresh off a 59-point loss to the Clippers. And the crowd eventually bought into it, but not until it became clear that the Lakers might actually lose.

Lakers coach JJ Redick was upset with the effort, especially on the defensive end.

“We weren’t that good tonight,” he said.

However, James and Reaves scored 25 of the Lakers’ 30 points in the fourth quarter.

“JJ was not happy on the sidelines. I’m sure you all could guess because we didn’t play well so it was justified,” Reaves said. “So Bron and I had a conversation at center court. “Just figure out a way to win the game.” We know it hasn’t been pretty. We know we made a lot of mistakes, but a win in the win column doesn’t matter [by] one or 60. It’s a win. And that’s all that matters.”

Read more: JJ Redick challenges Lakers leadership, and they respond by beating the Heat

The Lakers were once again without Dorian Finney-Smith, who stayed away from the team due to the birth of his child. The team also learned shortly before game time that Davis would not play due to issues related to an ongoing foot problem that kept him on the injury report for most of the past month. The Lakers listed him as “probable” with plantar fasciitis, and Davis went through his pregame workout before being demoted to “out.”

It shouldn’t have been an excuse.

Brooklyn was without its top scorers, Cam Thomas and Cameron Johnson, and Johnson was expected to be one of the most sought-after players before the Feb. 6 trade deadline.

The Lakers have in fact spoken to the Nets (14-28) about Johnson, according to people with knowledge of the situation who are not authorized to speak publicly. But the cost for the 6-foot-1 forward, who averages 19.6 points and shoots 42.8% from three, is considered two first-round picks — a steep price that could drop as the deadline approaches comes.

The Lakers don’t have to make a trade before their next game to get help. They should have Finney-Smith and Davis back on Sunday when they play the Clippers for the first time at the Intuit Dome, where the cross-town rivalry moves to a new venue.

Sign up for our weekly newsletter on all things Lakers.

This story originally appeared in the Los Angeles Times.

- Advertisement -
RELATED ARTICLES

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Most Popular

Recent Comments