This four-game road trip was not kind to the Los Angeles Lakers as they played playoff-level competition while also dealing with a variety of injuries. The final game of the trip against the Denver Nuggets was highlighted by Austin Reaves as the lead option considering L.A. was missing six rotation players.
The odds were stacked against the Lakers, as the Nuggets were healthy and looking to avenge their previous loss to the purple and gold. However, Reaves stepped up massively, scoring 37 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists.
L.A. had a three-point lead with under a minute left, but Denver made timely shots to win 131-126.
Despite the loss, rookie Dalton Knecht was another bright spot with 32 points and Reaves tried to boost his confidence offensively with many of their top players sidelined, via Spectrum SportsNet:
“I told him in the huddle, I said ‘Ay, if you want to shoot it, shoot it. I don’t care if you shoot it 35 times, we’re gonna need every bucket we can get.’ He’s a hooper. He’s someone that likes to compete, plays hard as shit. Not everybody is perfect, they make mistakes and get through them. But he’s one of the better, I don’t know if you want to call him young, but young shotmakers I’ve seen. He has a high release that doesn’t get blocked much and he makes difficult shots. So shoutout to him.”
Those words proved to work as Knecht took 27 shots with head coach JJ Redick needing another scoring option behind Reaves. The 23-year-old revealed that Reaves has been someone always in his ear through his college career and to now, which he appreciates:
“Yeah, AR tells me all the time. He texted me throughout my college career and gave me advice and now that we’re on the same team he’s been pretty much like my main vet I could go to and talk to all the time. He has my back 100%, so having a guy like that, what he almost had 40 and a triple-double, so having a guy like that to help me and be super confident in me means a lot.”
As the Lakers prepare for a playoff run in less than a month, Knecht having that kind of performance against the Nuggets is great to see. Despite defensive concerns, the former Tennessee Volunteer has been a scoring option off the bench when the Lakers need it.
After dealing with a rescinded trade, Knecht is getting reacclimatized and it is nice to see him teammates supporting him through this unique process in his first NBA season.
Austin Reaves: shorthanded Lakers went ‘toe-to-toe’ with Nuggets but didn’t execute late
With no expectations for Friday’s game, Austin Reaves and company found themselves with a chance to win against a Nuggets team they are chasing in the standings. Reaves acknowledged that the Lakers went ‘toe-to-toe’ with Denver, but poor execution late led to them losing.
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