'that's What We Need': Austin Reaves Bounces Back In Lakers' Game 2 Loss

OKLAHOMA CITY — Austin Reaves has officially entered the Lakers’ postseason chat. It mightiness still beryllium excessively little, excessively late.

The Lakers defender responded to his worst playoff capacity pinch his best, signaling a playoff career-high 31 points Thursday successful nan Lakers’ 125-107 loss to nan Oklahoma City Thunder astatine Paycom Center.

But against nan powerful Thunder, Reaves didn’t get a chance to punctuate his comeback nighttime pinch immoderate emphatic celebration. He alternatively ended nan crippled successful a heated speech pinch officials, surrounded by almost each of his teammates arsenic nan Lakers felt they were battling nan referees and nan Thunder successful adjacent measure.

Reaves’ game-high scoring effort wasn’t capable to fend disconnected nan relentless defending champions that had six players people successful double figures, including 3 pinch 20 aliases much points. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Chet Holmgren each had 22 points for nan Thunder, who return a 2-0 lead arsenic nan best-of-seven bid turns to Los Angeles for Game 3 connected Saturday.

With Luka Doncic sidelined because of a hamstring wounded that is expected to support him retired for 3 much weeks, nan Lakers are still outmanned successful nan Western Conference semifinals contempt Reaves’ caller return. He rushed backmost from a Grade 2 near oblique strain successful clip to play successful nan Lakers’ first-round bid but has struggled to find his hit aft a month-long absence.

He changeable a dreadful 3 for 16 from nan section successful Game 1 against nan Thunder, vanished pinch only 8 points and missed each 5 of his three-point shots. Including his 2 first-round games, Reaves had missed 14 consecutive three-pointers entering Game 2.

Criticism of Reaves dominated societal media aft Game 1. The 27-year-old defender is owed for a caller statement this summertime that would solidify his position arsenic 1 of nan sport’s prima players. A slow commencement to these playoffs and past year’s postseason struggles made Reaves an online punching container for instrumentality frustrations.

But nan low-key Reaves is “one of nan slightest chronically online NBA players location is,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said earlier nan game. The grade of Reaves’ societal media usage is his long-time friend Trent Swaim posting golfing videos connected nan duo’s “Hillbilly Bogey” accounts and Reaves asking his representatives to station sponsored contented for his endorsement deals.

He doesn’t request to troll net comments to substance his game. Reaves tin do that connected his own.

Lakers defender Austin Reaves, halfway right, talks pinch referee John Goble, halfway left, aft nan team’s nonaccomplishment successful Game 2 connected Thursday nighttime successful Oklahoma City.

(Nate Billings / Associated Press)

“He’s sewage a awesome consciousness of self-accountability to wherever he’s his ain worst critic,” Redick said earlier nan game, “and he’s going to clasp himself to a modular of really he wants to play.”

Reaves drove aggressively into nan overgarment early Thursday, tying nan people 16-16 successful nan first 4th connected a three-point play aft nan Lakers erased an early seven-point deficit. He had 13 points successful nan first half arsenic nan Lakers took a one-point lead into nan locker room. He scored aliases assisted connected nan Lakers’ first 11 points of nan 3rd 4th arsenic nan squad built a five-point lead pinch 8:35 to spell successful nan third.

“That’s what we request Austin to be,” defender Luke Kennard said. “Even though he missed immoderate shots past game, he was fierce and he conscionable sewage backmost into it. … I cognize a batch of group tin deliberation it’s easy to conscionable travel backmost and play a hoops crippled but astatine this level, what he’s done past bid and now, it’s impressive. We request him to proceed to beryllium aggressive. He’s specified a bully teammate, easy to play with. It’s bully to spot him person a really bully crippled and, hopefully gives him assurance going into nan adjacent one.”

The Lakers request to play near-perfect hoops to person a chance to sound disconnected nan defending champions. The Thunder took a 2-0 bid lead against nan Lakers contempt comparatively quiet performances from Gilgeous-Alexander. The reigning astir valuable subordinate had 18 points successful Game 1 and was constricted to little than 28 minutes Thursday because of foul trouble.

When Gilgeous-Alexander picked up his 4th foul pinch 10:34 remaining successful nan 3rd 4th Thursday, nan Thunder trailed 66-61. They didn’t request their prima to rip disconnected a 27-19 tally to decorativeness nan 4th and return a commanding 13-point lead into nan fourth.

The Lakers had 7 turnovers during nan decisive stretch. Reaves had 5 of nan Lakers’ 21 full giveaways and nan miscues turned into 26 points for nan Thunder, who led nan convention successful points disconnected turnovers during nan regular season.

“It starts pinch nan turnovers,” Reaves said. “I deliberation you’re not going to beryllium perfect; you’re going to person turnovers. Just trying to destruct nan live-ball turnovers wherever they get easy fast-break layups aliases threes aliases dunks.”