The Lakers eked out a 127-120 win over the Kings, but it was far from easy. With key players sidelined, every minute on the court felt like a battle. Fans were already reeling from LeBron James’ absence due to a sciatic injury, and things got worse when Luka Dončić went down with a sprained finger and lower leg contusion. To make matters even tougher, Marcus Smart got injured, followed by Gabe Vincent dealing with an ankle issue. But in the midst of all the Lakers’ injury troubles, one star emerged bright: Austin Reaves. 

Reaves dropped a career-high 51 points, almost flirting with a triple-double, to lead LA to victory even without Luka Dončić. When asked in the post-game press conference about missing out on the triple-double, Reaves laughed it off, joking, “I thought Jake [LaRavia] was going to be dunked over but Dylan [Cardwell] blocked him, so we are giving s— about that, but not really.”

Jokes aside, the main thing is simple: the Lakers walked away with the win, and Austin Reaves stole the show. “All that matters is we won,” he said. But his performance deserves a closer look: 51 points and 11 rebounds, marking the first 50-point double-double by an undrafted player since Neil Johnston in 1954.

It’s an extraordinary feat, making Reaves only the fourth undrafted player in NBA history to hit the 50-point mark in a game (this excludes Moses Malone, who was drafted in the ABA). 

Lakers coach JJ Redick didn’t hold back in praising Austin Reaves after his sensational performance. “He was fantastic, did a little bit of everything for us tonight all over the place… These moments are incredible for him,” Redick said, highlighting how Reaves’ impact went beyond just scoring.

Furthermore, Reaves made 12 of 22 shots from the field, including six three-pointers, and an impressive 21 of 22 from the free-throw line. StatsMuse notes that this marks only the second time in his career that he has scored 45 points or more in a game.

Reaves became the 12th player in franchise history to score 50 or more points in a game, joining legends like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Wilt Chamberlain. Including Kobe Bryant (46 such games), Wilt Chamberlain, and others.

Austin Reaves’ standout performance follows Luka Doncic’s second 40-point game of the season, in which he scored 49 points against the Wolves on Friday to secure the win. This marks three consecutive 40-point or more games by a Laker this season.

Lakers coach JJ Redick didn’t hold back in praising Austin Reaves after his sensational performance. “He was fantastic, did a little bit of everything for us tonight all over the place… These moments are incredible for him,” Redick said, highlighting how Reaves’ impact went beyond just scoring.

But the team still has a lot to sort out, and one Austin Reaves performance isn’t the complete answer.

The Lakers have a long list of injured players

Even with LeBron James and Luka Dončić out, the Lakers showed resilience against the Kings. Rui Hachimura contributed 18 points and two steals, while Deandre Ayton dominated the paint with 22 points and 15 rebounds. Marcus Smart also played a crucial role but left the game in the fourth quarter to have his right leg evaluated. Fortunately, the injury did not appear serious, and he returned to the floor.

Gabe Vincent was less fortunate, rolling his ankle in the third quarter and being forced to sit out for the remainder of the game. Despite these absences, LA managed to stay competitive, scoring nearly half of their points in the paint.

However, shooting remained a significant concern. The Lakers converted just 32% of their three-point attempts, with Austin Reaves standing out as the only bright spot, hitting six of ten from beyond the arc. The Kings’ relentless pressure led to turnovers and tested LA’s energy on both ends, underscoring a recurring issue for the team: maintaining consistent effort without key players on the floor.

With reserve centers Jaxson Hayes and Maxi Kleber unavailable, along with rookie forward Adou Thiero, the Lakers had to rely on bench players like Jarred Vanderbilt and Jake LaRavia to step up, giving them more touches and opportunities to contribute offensively.

Coach JJ Redick now faces a big challenge: how to keep the team competitive while so many key players are sidelined. The Lakers still face several challenging matchups this week, and maintaining effort and focus will be essential. While Reaves’ standout performance and the team’s depth have shown promise, Redick will need to effectively manage rotations, keep players fresh, and navigate the difficulties of an injury-riddled roster. Next up, the Portland Trail Blazers on the second night of the back-to-back.