Austin Reaves Shines in Career-High Performance as Lakers Triumph Over Pacers

2025-03-01

Austin Reaves delivered a career-defining performance on Saturday, leading the short-handed Los Angeles Lakers to a 124-117 victory over the Indiana Pacers at Crypto.com Arena. With LeBron James sidelined due to left ankle soreness and Luka Dončić yet to make his Lakers debut, Reaves stepped up with a career-high 45 points, seven rebounds, seven assists, and three steals. He shot 14-of-26 from the field, including 4-of-9 from beyond the arc, and was a perfect 13-for-13 from the free-throw line.

The Lakers started strong, scoring 44 points in the first quarter, with Reaves contributing 11. The team maintained control throughout the game, despite a brief third-quarter surge by the Pacers that cut the lead to four points. Reaves, however, ensured the Lakers stayed ahead, hitting back-to-back three-pointers early in the fourth quarter and adding a steal and dunk to extend the lead. His stellar play earned praise from teammates and fans alike, with some drawing comparisons to Kobe Bryant, as Reaves became the youngest Lakers player since Bryant in 2006 to record 40 points, five rebounds, and five assists in a game.

Rui Hachimura added 24 points and nine rebounds, while Gabe Vincent contributed 12 points and seven assists. The Lakers, now on a five-game winning streak, improved to 31-19 on the season. They will next face the Utah Jazz on Monday, where Dončić is expected to make his Lakers debut.

Lakers without LeBron or Luka get career-high 45 points from Austin Reaves in win over Pacers

ESPN flexed the Lakers game to its Saturday broadcast schedule in anticpation of Luka Dončić making his debut. Instead, Austin Reaves was the star.

sports.yahoo.com

Recap: Austin Reaves Has Career Night To Lead Shorthanded Lakers To Win Over Pacers

Austin Reaves had a career night to lead the shorthanded Los Angeles Lakers to a win over the Indiana Pacers.

lakersnation.com

Lakers beat the Pacers behind career-best performance by Austin Reaves

The Lakers move to 3-0 in the Luka Dončić era with an impressive win over the Indiana Pacers.

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