[Highlight] Austin Reaves (43 PTS, 5 REB, 4 AST) leads the Lakers to their fifth consecutive win and a 9-2 record.
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Austin’s ability to scale up to a complimentary, relatively low shot second option and up to a legit first option is just incredible.
People want Austin to average like 35 with Luka getting 40 it’s just not how team basketball works
I love that Austin wants his team mates involved, it makes the game for him easier.
He’s basically a 25-5-5 every night on 50-40-90 shooting. 🤯 How many better 2nd options are there in the league?
None. The only players in the convo are LaMelo, Jamal Murray, KAT, and Jalen Brown. And that’s because KAT and Brown are better defenders, not better offensive players. Jamal Murray and Reaves are similar type of players. Reaves more efficient, while Murray better playmaker. LaMelo the same, but even less efficient.
AR is well above Jamal in every facet of the game at this point. Maybe 2022 you could argue Jamal there. LaMelo, JB, KAT all def better than him but that’s some pretty fuckin elite company to be in.
Not disagreeing with anything and I might be bias but I think AR playmaking is severely underrated. Think he’s better than Murray on that regard.
Oh man AR is a really good playmaker though
jamal murray is buns now
Avdija would be better. He can shoot, pass, rebound, and actually play defense.
This was a strong game for AR, but prior to this game he’s been a dud without Luka on the court.
and people think he was overpaid🤣
like okay bro, find another player that can do the things that AR does that isn’t an all-star and is a free agent🤣
players like this don’t just grow on trees
“BuT dId He dO iT In ThE PlAyOffS?”
Most haters would say here. Probably.
he dropped 30 against OKC as the lead ball handler
and he readily embraces the role. No telling if you try to replace him the next guy will feel the same way.
Facts been saying that. We got incredibly lucky that he turned down the pistons in the draft and we got him.
This genuinely might be one of the best wins of his career. Led the lakers to a win without Luka against the best defense in the league with a 43 ball and only 1 turnover
The win over the Celtics without LeBron or AD in Boston was better in my opinion.
I am seeing people skipping over this one way too easily. Beating the Celtics, arch rivals, championship contenders, in their building without the 2 best players is still my favourite AR solo win. Even last season had better wins to me personally. This Pistons win was good but I did feel like we had a shot regardless. The only surprising thing was the 20+ point lead that early in the game. I didn’t think we’d run through them that easily.
I was dancing around my room yelling they can’t guard him watching the celtics game
I remember thinking how fucked the lakers were going into that game, and then Austin popped off. Do you remember people wanting to trade him for Kessler? I love Kessler, but a player of Austin’s caliber is harder to find.
That kinda announced him to the Lakers fandom. That was such an important win tbh, for him to come in the spotlight.
Don’t forget with AD and Lebron out, and the trade deadline looming, vibes were at an all time low. That win was huge, it was supposed to be the Lakers walking into an ass blasting but AR, D-lo, and I remember even Vando were popping off.
I love this argument
AR has plenty of games where he was the no.1 option and led the team in scoring with the win
I remember like 3-4 years ago he had a 30p triple double to help us win against the Nuggets
it’s crazy to read how many people in the Lakers sub want to trade him🤣
i saw posts saying he needs to be traded for AD asap🤣🤣
A lot of klutch rats still hang around
Crazy how quickly some fans forget those big games he’s had.
Last game of his rookie season!
That’s when I knew he was going to stick in the league
That was his breakout game of his rookie season. Last Vogel game on the Lakers too. McClung was out there for the Lakers too
I think it might top his 50 point near trip double just cause of the defense he saw. He was getting hugged all game. It was really impressive how he was unbothered by it and kept driving
Yeah this victory shut up a LOT of haters that said he can’t handle the ball. They weren’t even wrong to criticize him given the last few games, but he just keeps improving… you say he can’t do something and he shows up the very next game and proves everyone wrong.
he can’t come to the bulls and form a big 3 with matas and caleb! 👀
“One of”
my bad
i think his game vs the twolves when he hit that game winner tops this
I think the game vs the pacers right before Luka’s first game as a laker is there too
I’m just happy he has so many bangers that’s it’s a debate
That game was legendary. Even Ant was hyped up.
1 turnover is the most impressive part
No no, it was that 50 pt game against Boston with no Lebron and Luka. I will always remember that game.
Boston Reaves
His carry job against the wolves last year was better. Especially with the actual game winner but I get what you mean
Kinda crazy with all the hate post on here of late. Showed again dude can ball.
The Minnie 50 piece with the game winner is the other one, I agree with the posts here that the Boston game is his best, withoutbthat Boston game, AR would not be the numbwr 1 option on this Pistons game and the Minnie one.
ausar held him to 43 💪💪
Ausar cant lock up this white boy
Most of those shots are ridiculous. I say good defense.
The focus Reaves has to make those shots is super human.
The golf must be working
He just absorbed Luka’s essence
Am I the only one who actually watched this game or even the video in this post? He had maybe one bucket on Ausar and it was when Ausar was held by the screener making him late to close out. Everything else is just attacking Duncan, Jenkins, and Huerter
If you’re gonna credit someone as potentially the best defender in the league, his ability to navigate screens and stick to his guy has to be taken into account. What’s the point of paying a guy 32 million a year if his defense can be neutralized by “He’s on Matisse Thybulle tonight so technically he held his guy to 5 points on 1-3 from the field”?
This is a huge reason why bigs are still king on defense. They can deter rim attempts without having to participate in the whole switching game. Even as perimeter defenders, a big wing who can double as a rim protector becomes more valuable in the playoffs than the smaller, faster guys.
My dude i responded to someone saying Ausar can’t lock him up by pointing out the entire way Reaves earned this statline was by way of an offensive scheme to get him literally any other defender. If you wanna critique the pistons switches I wont stop you but the original point about Ausar not being able to stop Reaves is obviously incorrect
If he can’t stick to his man through screens, he literally “can’t lock him up”. Ausar can’t stop Reaves, because being able to stay with Reaves is the bare minimum requirement of “stopping Reaves”.
Id ausar was so easily able to stop reaves why didnt he?
Ausar couldn’t lock him up. If he did, that would be cool, but he couldn’t
Sounds like Ausar didn’t lock him up by your description
He arguably scored 3 points on Ausar by my description. If thats what lakers fans wanna hang their hat on I wont stop ya, but there’s a reason this highlight reel doesnt include any plays with Ausar as his defender and its definitely not bc Reaves can score on him at will
So you agree then? Ausar didn’t lock him up?
Honestly I couldn’t believe bicketstaff was just letting them get fried 1v1, Austin is one of the best isolation bucket getters in the league. Really lazy switch defense.
Although we had some great screening today to keep coming off ball, pistons just couldn’t fight hard enough imo.
Austin’s goal is to manipulate the court so that he isnt defended by Ausar. Defense should be a team construction.
Yeah they conceded the switch to Huerter a bit too easily imo
Don’t know why you’re getting downvoted like this, but the gameplan was obviously to switch coverages and allow Reaves to attack much weaker defenders, and it worked fantastically.
It’s a team game. JJ Redick would be an idiot to allow Thompson to stick onto Reaves all game and not do anything about it. People are too focused on 1-on-1 matchups.
Then Ausar is ducking Austin the whole game. The best defender in your team don’t want to defend the best player in the other team.
Thank you for giving this context, I wasn’t able to watch the game but it’s nice to still get a bit of context as to how it happened that isn’t “actually, Ausar Thompson sucks for the next 36 hours until we forget we made this conclusion.” Not sure why everyone interprets that as you glazing him when, to me, it just seems like you’re contextualizing the fact it’s a team sport. This website sucks lol.
would have won with Luka pouting around playing shit defense once he starts missing shots you lose by 30
Lakers are a dam good team, Luka just makes everyone look like they arent as good cause he has to play a certain way and steal all the stats
hell be the reason they lose in Playoffs, teams real good tho
You are one dumb mother fucker.
and im never wrong, ask around.
You’re talking to the Prophet scrub
Everyone knows im always right
Remind me when Luka chokes out of the playoffs and the low IQ fans blame his team, guarenteed.
lol did Luka fuck your mom or something? waayy too many REEEEEE posts in one thread🤣
My mom should be so lucky
soft Luka would cry trying to get it up
Luka cant get it up
real small, thats why his girl left him
i dont gotta worry abot that but hes a good stat padder, best fake news stat guy ever
You seriously just said luka makes his teammates look worse?😭😭 Dude made Dwight powell look like a legit center man what are you smoking
Heck Hayes even got a Slovenian citizenship just to play with Luka on the national team.
When hes the reason you lose in playoffs
remember who told you first
The Prophet
You are a very special person
I know, Luka is a fraud like all of Reddit
Best stat padder of all time
You really are a dumbass wow
if you only knew man, if only
Luka fanboys DOWN BAD
Reddits 9⁄11
Seen so many AR trash posts on here lol.
I just about spit out my coffee reading someone say that the Lakers biggest problem was Austin Reaves as the offensive second option. Like do they think Shaq/Kobe is normal??
Luka just needs to get wemby to sign to the Lakers. Is he stupid?
AR is him. The Lakers and he needed this one tonight.
It was a big statement and great for team morale
Bro, every single bucket was through contact, which is … even more amazing than the pure stat sheet
Austin and Luka are the leagues best back court. That isn’t being talked about nearly enough.
That’s because other teams don’t have scrappy gym rats like Austin and Luka.
Any scrappier and they’d need sunscreen indoors.
Only so many lunch pail hard hats to go around
That’s because they’re playing the right way…
Individually, probably. But wouldn’t you say they’ve looked pretty mediocre as a duo while playing together? Luka is going absolutely ballistic for a lot of these wins.
They’re averaging like 65 points on elite efficiency as a duo, so no I wouldn’t say they look mediocre.
Fair enough, I’ve only watched a few Lakers games but it looked to me like AR just disappears at times while Luka was scoring (which is a reasonable decision). Statistically they can be an incredible duo while Luka is also the main contributor to that too.
When playing together? Lmao, that duo has the 3rd highest +/- in the NBA. Only duos higher are Wemby with Fox and Wemby with Harper. Thus: they are the best “backcourt” in the NBA.
What a fragile argument. Just because one guy is insanely talented doesn’t take away from AR’s talent
wouldn’t you say they’ve looked pretty mediocre as a duo
They’re statistically the best offensive duo so….no?
how many 40 point scoring White boys does this team have?!
Just waiting for Mamu to drop 40 next
AR/Luka should just throw 20 lobs to Kessler one game, get him there too
Why does it look so empty there?
It’s the Pistons
Probably cuz it was like a 1pm game
Reaves was getting in peoples faces and they didn’t want the smoke
Fouled a lot more than what was whistled.
Grab, hold, hold, hold, bump, swipe, only for no call in the end, it’s crazy. League wide issue.
Kessler literally bled from an insane scratch and still got called out of bounds lmao. These refs
It’s only gonna get worse in the playoffs.
Some of the no calls are flat out disgusting. Paul Reed body slamming Jake was one. Elbow or was it knee to the face of Reaves another. And many more
Glad someone said it. Detroit does it damn near every possession
Literally a missed and-one in the first minute
Zhaire’s Luka is going nuclear with 43 pts against one of the best defense in the league.
Zhaires Lukas?
Zhaire mistook Austin as being Luka during Blazers postgame interview.
Im pretty sure he was just trolling. He likes to banter
Zhaire was congratulating Austin for Luka’s 50 ball.
Ziaire Williams
Thiero did the same line, while grabbing him from behind, to AR in the postgame today and AR was like “it was the right guy this time!” Pretty funny
r/nba look at all those defensive stop by Ausar Thompson on Reaves en route to just 43pts lol
Ayo is better than Austin post had 600 upvotes
both good underdog stories but cmon now
AR always goes off when he is the main guy. All this shit talk about him leading the second unit says more about the rest of the team than him
Holy cow the degree of difficulty on some of those shots is ridiculous.
He’s so legit. Reddit has been wrong about him. Dude is a star.
People are judged on their playoff performances and he’s underperformed especially with a max contract
Pathetic effort by our boys tonight
Looked flat to start the night but picked it up after. Jenkins was a demon tho
Where the hell did Cade go all game?
Your guesses good as mine..Last year in LA we murdered you, you’d figure they’d want to replicate that at home but no lets shit the bed instead
You guys did look like out of sorts it had to be from the long lay off. What was it 3 full days since your guys’ last game?
It was actually 4 days..Still, Sunday home game no excuse
The three in dudes face and he didn’t even raise to contest was honestly embarrassing effort wise.
Absolutely. Can’t really take this team seriously with that kind of effort. You can’t get up to play against a top team in the west? What are we doing here
I mean they didn’t have Luka.
Okay explain what you mean.
A team who has the best player in the league but isn’t playing. Easy to not take the game seriously
Luka Ball isnt winning Ball when it matters
2-0 vs good teams without Luka
stat padding Systems dont win Titles, youll see
Stat padders biggest frauds in the world
Clippers and good in the same sentence
Mfs will discount lukas performances against the blazers and heat by saying they suck but will turn around and call the clippers good LOL
Luka led lakers lose both games
youll see, hes not one of us like Dean Wade
not a proper boy, just a cry baby flopper manipulator like Embiid on my team, both frauds
It’s funny seeing yall bums spawn in from nowhere, Reaves has been dropping high scoring games when stars sit out before Luka even came to lakers
lol i could brag so bad but i said ill be humble from now on
we know who the bum is kid
Luka cant get it up either, like you
best stat padder ever
It’s always the top commenters
i dont even comment scrub
i come and i go
when Luka chokes
Rememeber who told you
The Prophet, go to Sixers sub and ask, im never wrong
Bro thinks he’s someone
Lakers have some decent scorers.
it’s hard not to like this dude lol. I really like his nba journey
Why do all his makes look like max difficulty?
Have you watched his several highlight reels on the NBA’s YouTube channel? That basically seems to be his shot diet. Impressive how often he makes them.
Wer my Austin Reaves haters at? Lmao.
u/nba First bucket of the game and he gets leveled with no foul
AR is him ! That’s LeBron’s protege!!!
I swear, his success is partially of LeBron’s mentorship and trust.
r/nba 9⁄11
It’s weird how much he plays like Luka, two pale similar anomalies on one team is strange and I am surprised they both get theirs when playing together. Both are special players when double teamed.
Dude he’s been playing like this loooong before Luka came into the picture. You forget that AR was also under LeBron’s wing for years learning from him! Yeah he’s deff picking up some great skills from Luka too that we can see but he’s been that dawg
I saw his college scouting report pre-NBA, and most of the comments on the video were about how similar his game was to Luka’s.
Luka makes the game look incredibly easy. AR is the total opposite.
That’s a really great way of putting it. Austin fights every play he makes, Luka just moves wherever he wants to.
Ginobliiiiiiii
This is why Detroit wanted him
What’s wrong with Ausar?
Nothing, did you see how ridiculous these shots were? Good defense, better offense.
Twin sapped his power
I know not everything is about SGA. But I legit think SGA falls down on 75% of these plays. So I don’t wanna hear shit about flopping. Austhim playing grown up ball.