Austin Reaves steps in for Luka Donic with 43 points in Lakers win over Pistons
On a night when the Lakers were playing without red-hot Luka Doncic, Reaves scored 43 points against one of the league's best defenses in a 121-116 win.
Key points
- game — we're still going to win.” Reaves had big shoes to fill, as the Lakers needed him to step up in place of the league's hottest player.
- The Pistons, victims of his big night on Sunday, were planning to pick him with the 42nd pick, but he declined in order to sign as a free agent with the Lakers.
- Meanwhile, Reaves came into the game averaging 23.0 points per game during Doncic's four-game hot streak, then found another gear against the team he shunned.
“Now that looks like a good shot in the box score, but it was 100% lucky.” Reaves quite often points to luck and good fortune when talking about himself, but that underrates the work he's put into just having an NBA career.
DETROIT (AP) — Austin Reaves thought he had a very fortunate night against the Detroit Pistons.
Additional details
- The Lakers couldn't get into their offense, and Reaves ended up with the ball as the shot clock was about to expire.
- The Pistons trailed by 26 points in the second quarter but were only down 109-104 going into the final minute.
- In his last four games, all Los Angeles wins, Donic was averaging 45 points, nine rebounds and eight assists.
- “I was a lucky basketball player tonight,” said Reaves, who went 14 of 27 from the floor, including 4 of 6 on 3-pointers, and added a perfect 11-for-11 from the free-throw line.
- “It's just incredible to play alongside he and Luka, because they hit some really, really tough shots.” He saved his toughest for last.
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