The shorthanded Los Angeles Lakers have been scrapping and fighting to stay competitive in games and coming off a loss to the Portland Trail Blazers there was more urgency to bounce back against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The Lakers have been hit hard by injuries and ruled out several players in addition to LeBron James and Luka Doncic. Los Angeles was also down Marcus Smart and Gabe Vincent, leaving the guard rotation incredibly thin. Head coach JJ Redick has been forced to lean on the end of his bench to give his starters rest, but against the Timberwolves that would be a challenge.
Fortunately, it was a complete group effort from Los Angeles as every player that saw the floor contributed in a meaningful way. Austin Reaves was the hero of the night, hitting a game-winning floater at the buzzer to give the Lakers a thrilling 116-115 win over the Timberwolves and improve the team’s record to 3-2.
Los Angeles was in danger of squandering a 20-point lead in the second half as Minnesota caught fire from beyond the arc, and a Julius Randle layup left the Lakers trailing. Fortunately, Reaves was able to split a double at the top of the key and hit a floater over Donte DiVencenzo to pull out the victory.
That play wasn’t the only one Reaves made as he hit several clutch shots in the fourth quarter to keep the Lakers ahead. When wasn’t scoring, Reaves was setting up teammates, particularly Deandre Ayton and Jake LaRavia, for open looks.
Reaves has been on an absolute tear with James and Doncic out and added another strong performance to his resume. He led Los Angeles in scoring with 28 points, but he also tied his career high in assists with 16.
LaRavia finally broke out for the Lakers and it came at a good time given how shorthanded they are. He got into a shooting rhythm early in the game and he never looked back, making the Timberwolves pay every time they left him open.
LaRavia was right behind Reaves in the scoring column, pouring in 27 points on 10-of-11 shooting with his only miss coming from the 3-point line. He also filled up the rest of the statsheet, adding eight rebounds, two assists, one steal and one block.
What’s next for the Lakers
The Lakers continue their road trip on Friday against the Memphis Grizzlies in their first Emirates NBA Cup group play game before returning home on Sunday to host the Miami Heat.
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