The Los Angeles Lakers caught multiple big breaks tonight, beating the lowly Brooklyn Nets 125-109, and witnessed the return of star guard Austin Reaves from a calf strain. After weeks of watching from the sidelines, he was back on the floor tonight and even got a special message.

“6 weeks later, and my show is back on,” Reaves’ girlfriend Jenna Barber posted on her Instagram story along with a picture of the game on her TV. It was a quiet message, away from the court, without any drama, just relief.

That six-week time period has been taxing for all parties. Reaves was sidelined on Christmas Day when he reaggravated a calf injury from earlier this season, resulting in a frustrating stretch that dragged on longer than expected.

The Lakers tried to patch things together with various lineup changes to build up their defense, including benching Rui Hachimura in favor of Marcus Smart. Unfortunately, things hadn’t gone well. LA sat 5-5 in their last 10 games, and have slipped to sixth in the West since losing Reaves.

The one good thing that has resulted from the injury is that Reaves could’ve spent the last few weeks with Barber instead of playing the games. The couple have been dating for almost 12 years, meeting in 2014 at New Jersey’s Cedar Ridge High School.

“& back to long distance Miss you already,” Barber had posted on Instagram before LA started a road trip earlier this season.

Barber leads a private life, despite being the partner of one of the NBA’s brightest rising stars in its biggest markets, but she does make appearances at Lakers game and even golf courses with Reaves.

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Austin Reaves Returns as Los Angeles Lakers Cruise Past Struggling Brooklyn Nets

Austin Reaves didn’t need a long ramp-up to be back. In his first game back after missing 19 straight, the breakout guard settled in well, scoring 15 points on a minutes restriction off the bench, as the Lakers steamrolled the Nets.

While Luka Doncic and LeBron James took on volume and usage, Reaves used the night to build rhythm, looking relatively comfortable immediately. Though his shooting wasn’t quite back to normal, and he turned the ball over a bit much, he did manage to make his way to the foul line consistently, generating easy points that the Lakers quickly took advantage of.

LA started off on a 45-point first quarter, scoring 69 points by halftime, through a combined effort from Doncic, who torched the Nets with early jumpers, and James, who controlled the pace by attacking the rim. Their tandem let Reaves pick his spots and blend back in seamlessly without forcing the issue as LA shot efficiently (54.1%).

By the time head coach JJ Redick pulled Reaves from the game, the result was already decided, but his presence mattered more than the numbers. After weeks of waiting, LA finally looked somewhat whole again, and in a game that quickly turned into a blowout, Reaves’ smooth return stood out as one of the night’s major developments. Next up, the Lakers return to Crypto.com Arena to face off against the Philadelphia 76ers.