Austin Reaves returned to the playoffs for Games 5 and 6, a much-needed boost for the Los Angeles Lakers who were short on ball-handlers and downhill drivers.
With Reaves back in the fold, the Lakers were able to close out the Houston Rockets in six games but now must face the defending champions the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Thunder turned in another dominant regular season led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander who is in line to win his second consecutive MVP award.
What makes Gilgeous-Alexander so hard to guard is his ability to draw contact and get to the free throw line, though his foul baiting has drawn the ire of the entire league. While Gilgeous-Alexander’s ability to get to the free throw line seems cheap, Reaves said he has no problem with it.
“I know that’s a tough topic to talk about because everybody blows it out of proportion,” Reaves said. “He wants to win and is gonna do whatever it takes to win. If it’s shoot 20 free throws, so be it. If I shoot 20 free throws, I’d be happy. I don’t think there’s any bad intentions with trying to get to the line. I think it’s somewhat of a, I don’t know if I’d call it an art, but how many possessions he has the ball in his hands and how much he does attack you’re not gonna shoot zero free throws. That’s a fact.”
Like Gilgeous-Alexander, Reaves lives at the free throw line as he has a knack for getting defenders to reach in on drives and foul him at the basket. Both Gilgeous-Alexander and Reaves are excellent at getting past defenders and using their bodies to initiate contact on shot attempts, much to the chagrin of opposing players.
Los Angeles did a great job of playing physical defense in the Houston series, but Oklahoma City is an entirely different challenge as they have multiple players outside of Gilgeous-Alexander that can score.
Reaves will need to be at his best offensively to give the Lakers even a modest shot of dethroning the Thunder, but knowing him he’ll certainly try.
Austin Reaves shared special message with LeBron James after Lakers series win
LeBron James turned back the clock in the Rockets series to deliver another playoff series win for the Lakers. Reaves got a chance to see James dominant the postseason up close and after the win in Game 6 he told James how incredible he was.
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