Playing on Christmas Day is an honor for teams as they a chance to play in front of a national audience, and the Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors have been a fixture on the holiday slate.
With LeBron James and Stephen Curry in the twilight of their careers, fans tune in to see the two superstars go at each other whenever they play. Their latest matchup didn’t disappoint as James and Curry delivered on Christmas with outstanding performances to give their respective teams a chance a win.
However, it was Austin Reaves who ended up being the hero of the evening as he hit the game-winning layup and gave the Lakers a 115-113 victory to cap off Christmas.
Anthony Davis was forced out of the game early after spraining his left ankle, so Reaves did his part to step in and help James offensively. After struggling to deal with the Detroit Pistons’ ball pressure the previous game, Reaves made sure to be stronger with the basketball as he was more decisive and aggressive with his touches.
While Reaves wasn’t very efficient shooting the basketball, he contributed in every area of the floor to help Los Angeles stave off Golden State. Reaves recorded a triple-double of 26 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists while also going 4-of-10 from distance and a perfect 6-of-6 from the free throw line. His biggest play of the night was the baseline layup for the win, but he hit plenty of clutch shots to keep the Lakers in front.
James always seem to have an extra gear when playing on Christmas, but he was even more forceful once Davis was out of the game. The Warriors sent extra defenders anytime James touched the basketball, but he was masterful moving it around or creating his own shot when necessary.
James knows Golden State all too well and he had another big performance against his long-time rivals as he had a team-high 31 points to go along with 10 assists and four rebounds.
Rui Hachimura was also a much-needed source of scoring with Davis ruled out and he took advantage of open looks from the 3-point line. Hachimura drained 5-of-7 of his attempts from outside en route to 18 points.
Lastly, Dalton Knecht finally broke out of his slump as he contributed with 13 points off the bench.
What’s next for Lakers
The Lakers return home and will get a couple of days off before seeing the Sacramento Kings on Saturday. Anthony Davis’ status will be worth monitoring leading up to that although he said he plans to play.
Have you subscribed to our YouTube channel? It’s the best way to watch player interviews, exclusive coverage from events, participate in live shows, and more!
