Lakers’ Austin Reaves Takes Over With Luke Doncic Out

Los Angeles Lakers sharpshooter Austin Reaves went full Luka Doncic in their 121-116 win over the Detroit Pistons.

Doncic was out with back tightness, and Reaves stepped in. Reaves scored 43 points and shouted out his teammate for a heat-check three-pointer in the third quarter, stepping back and fading away for a bank in three.

When asked about the shot, he responded with,  “Honestly…This is some bulls— Luka would shoot.” He made sure to make it clear that banking it in was not what he was attempting, but sometimes when you’re hot, even the bad shots go in, and it was one of those nights for Reaves.

Reaves’ 43 points came from more than just the three-point line where he usually presides. He went four-for-six from three and scored most of his points elsewhere. He went 14-for-27 from the field, grabbed five rebounds, added four assists, and went 11-for-11 from the free-throw line to round out his stat line.

The Lakers moved to 9-2 with the win over Detroit and look strong early in the year, and the guard has been a big part of that, averaging an NBA-11th-best 25.3 points so far this season. Doncic may be the superstar of the team, but Reaves has solidified himself as a fantastic partner in crime.

Every year of Reaves’ career, his points-per-game average has improved, and he has become a great piece for the Lakers, working his way through the depth chart over the years and now as a full-time starter.

Doncic is expected to return to the lineup, and Reaves is questionable for their upcoming game against the Atlanta Hawks due to illness.