Austin Reaves’ career night helps short-handed Lakers edge Nets

18.01.2025 09:21

DailyNews.com

Lakers forward LeBron James, left, tries to pass the ball as Brooklyn Nets guard D’Angelo Russell defends during the second half on Friday night at Crypto.com Arena. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

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Lakers forward LeBron James, left, tries to pass the ball as Brooklyn Nets guard D’Angelo Russell defends during the second half on Friday night at Crypto.com Arena. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

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LOS ANGELES — The last time the Lakers were without Anthony Davis and in need of a player to step up offensively outside of LeBron James and Austin Reaves, they got a career night out of Max Christie.

But this time, it was Reaves and James again doing the heavy lifting on Friday night, with Reaves scoring a career-high 38 points and James adding 29 as the Lakers held on for a 102-101 victory over the struggling Brooklyn Nets.

The Nets, who lost 126-67 to the Clippers on Wednesday night in a franchise-record 59-point defeat, had a chance to win it, but former Laker D’Angelo Russell missed a 3-point attempt with 2.6 seconds remaining.

Reaves, who bested his previous career-best of 35 points (done twice), shot 13 for 23 from the field (4 for 8 from 3-point range) and made all eight of his free throws. Reaves had 15 points in the fourth quarter, including three 3-pointers.

“It wasn’t a pretty game,” Reaves said. “We didn’t execute the way we really needed to. But you have so many games, it’s going to happen. And in those situations, you just got to figure out a way to win. You’re not playing the way you want to, playing up to your standards as a group. You just have to find a way to win. And we did that.”

James, who shot 12 for 17 from the field (4 for 6 from 3-point range), added eight assists, seven rebounds and two blocked shots.

Reaves tied his previous career-high with a pull-up midrange jumper to give the Lakers a 97-90 lead with 4:32 left.

He made a stepback jumper on the Lakers’ next possession to set his new career high and give the Lakers a 100-92 lead with 3:45 remaining.

“That was his career high? Oh. I mean, he’s been in big moments before and he knows what to do and we needed every bucket that he had,” James said. “But just the momentum and the way he was playing was just in a rhythm. So we needed it from him.”

Reaves has averaged 22.2 points (44.7% shooting, 40.6% from 3-point range), 8.9 assists and 5.3 rebounds in his last 10 games.

“He’s in his process and he’s taking the opportunity and he’s running with it,” James said. “Literally running with it. And I love every moment that he’s given the opportunity to go out and showcase his talent with the best players in the world and he’s showing every night that he belongs. It’s a beautiful thing to see.”

Reaves and the Lakers, who shot 12 for 19 from the field in the fourth quarter, making five 3-pointers, went cold after his final 3-pointer.

He missed his next four shots after setting the career-high, with the Lakers’ lone basket during that stretch being a transition alley-oop from Reaves to James for a 102-95 lead with 2½ minutes left.

“I had opportunities after that to get 40. I just didn’t make them,” Reaves said. “But I’m not worried about the points. I’m worried about winning. I would say 95% of the time, if there’s a situation like that, I’m gonna throw the ball up to him. I’ve seen, my whole life, him catching lobs and dunking.

“So to be the one throwing him the ball is still cool to me, especially at his age (40). Not saying he’s old, but he’s getting up there and he can still jump way better than most people ever can. So I don’t really think it was a great pass, but to him, you know, he don’t miss many lobs.”

The Lakers didn’t score again after the alley-oop, allowing the Nets to cut their deficit to one after a Noah Clowney 3-pointer with 37 seconds left.

After Reaves missed a turnaround 6-footer, Russell had his chance at a game-winning shot, but his high-arcing attempt in the final seconds bounced off the rim and James grabbed the rebound.

Reaves and James scored 65.6% of the Lakers’ point total and 25 of the team’s 30 fourth-quarter points.

“[Reaves] and LeBron just willed us to win,” Coach JJ Redick said. “We weren’t very good [on Friday night]. But a lot of credit to those two guys.”

Gabe Vincent added 10 points on 4-of-8 shooting and three assists in 29 minutes off the bench. Rui Hachimura had 10 points, six rebounds and four assists. Jaxson Hayes started in Davis’ place and scored six points along with nine rebounds.

The Nets shot 17 for 38 (44.7%) from 3-point range to stay in the game.

Russell finished with 19 points, eight assists and six rebounds in his first game against his former team since being traded in late December. Zaire Williams and Tosan Evbuomwan scored 15 points apiece for the Nets.

Davis was a late scratch for Friday because of left plantar fasciitis – an injury designation that has lingered for the past two months.

Redick said postgame that it was his “assumption” that Davis and Dorian Finney-Smith, who missed his second consecutive game because of personal reasons, would be available for Sunday night’s game against the Clippers at Intuit Dome.

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