An unexpected name lit up the scoreboard for the LA Lakers on Wednesday night, as Jake LaRavia, an offseason pickup, delivered a near-perfect shooting performance in the team’s win over the Minnesota Timberwolves. The 23-year-old forward missed just one shot en route to 27 points, second only to Austin Reaves, and gave LA a major spark off the bench.

But for many fans- and even some players- LaRavia’s outburst came out of nowhere. During the game, as he stepped to the free-throw line, one Timberwolves fan shouted, “Who is Number 12?!” The heckle drew the attention of Anthony Edwards, who was sidelined with a hamstring injury. Without missing a beat, Edwards shouted back, “That’s what I’m saying… I don’t know!”

The exchange was caught on the broadcast and quickly went viral online. LaRavia himself joined the fun, dropping a simple “lol” in the comments- the perfect punctuation to a night where he went from anonymous role player to trending topic.

No speech, no shade. Just a reminder that sometimes the best answer to disrespect is dropping 27 and letting the scoreboard talk for you.

It wasn’t just how he scored, but the timing. LaRavia scored most of his points in the third quarter, hitting big shots whenever the Timberwolves tried to reclaim control. With Austin Reaves unable to hit shots early and LeBron James and Luka Doncic sidelined, he picked up the offensive slack, even going on a solo 8-0 scoring run.

This game marks a big turnaround for the forward, who had gone just 4-16 from the field in his games for LA as a starter in their matchup against the Portland Trail Blazers. On top of his stellar shooting night, LaRavia also added on eight rebounds, two assists, a steal and a block, contributing on all ends of the floor.

This game also marks his fourth-highest career scoring game, and his highest since April 2024, when he went on a three game scoring run of 32, 28 and 29.

Jake LaRavia will now look to replicate his performance against the Grizzlies, where he played for two-and-a-half years. Their matchup will be the first night of the NBA Cup’s group stage, which the Lakers will look to win after winning the inaugural tournament in 2023.

Austin Reaves Delivers Game-Winner as Lakers Edge Wolves

The Los Angeles Lakers blew their 20-point lead in the fourth, but Austin Reaves made sure it didn’t end in heartbreak. His buzzer-beating go-ahead bucket lifted LA to a dramatic 116-115 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves tonight.

Reaves finished the game with 28 points, 16 assists, and two steals as he orchestrated the offense and closed the game like a superstar.

Apart from Jake LaRavia having the best game of his young Lakers career, Dalton Knecht bounced back in a major way from early season stumbles.

He finished the game with 15 points and two blocks while Deandre Ayton and Rui Hachimura scored 17 each and helped anchor the defense, giving LA steady two-way production. Jarred Vanderbilt chipped in with 12 rebounds, including 6 offensive, which helped swing the game in their favor.

LA held a comfortable lead until the fourth quarter, when the Timberwolves clawed back behind a combined 63 points from Jaden McDaniels and Julius Randle.

Unfortunately for Minnesota, Reaves calmly drilled the game-winner. Now, they’re going to look ahead to their matchup against the Hornets on Saturday night, hoping to secure a win without Anthony Edwards.