Another Lakers game, another round of raised fingers and pointed frustrations aimed at the officials—just a familiar story playing out with new characters. This time, it was Kings head coach Doug Christie, who appeared completely heartbroken and almost speechless during the post-game press conference after the Lakers eked out a 127-120 win. Austin Reaves stole the show, setting a personal record, but the Kings were left staring at a tough stat: 46 free throws. 

When asked about his players getting too “handsy,” Doug Christie didn’t shy away, saying, “46, you said. I mean, we got to play defense without fouling, obviously. But there are two teams on the floor. So, it’s wild. It’s wild. It’s wild,” he said, clearly stunned by the numbers. Christie couldn’t believe what he saw on the stat sheet and called out the officials indirectly. 

The Lakers ended the night with an eye-popping 46-18 advantage in free-throw attempts over Sacramento, leaving Christie and his team frustrated and searching for answers.  “I don’t know that you’ll ever win a game with free throws like that, not since I was a little kid—not with two teams playing hard,” Christie said.

Statistically, it checks out. The Lakers’ 46 attempts were the 10th most by any team in the past three seasons, while Reaves’ 22 were the sixth most by a single player in that span.

Even DeMar DeRozan seemed frustrated by the massive free-throw gap that tilted the game in the Lakers’ favor. “It’s crazy. Forty-six free throws to 18? And we had to beg for most of those,” DeRozan said. “It’s deflating. Especially when we’re going out there trying to play hard, trying to compete…” He even credited Reaves’ record to the whistles: “The free-throw line. Twenty-two free throws for him.”

But now, Christie had molded this Kings team into a gritty, defense-first unit, one that prides itself on making life miserable for its opponents. But against the Lakers, that physical edge turned into foul trouble. 

LA took full advantage, using every bit of contact to earn trips to the line and disrupt the Kings’ flow. By the third quarter, both Keon Ellis and Domantas Sabonis were saddled with four fouls each, and Sacramento’s rhythm began to slip.

Even as the Kings tried to adjust in the fourth, Austin Reaves went off from deep, completely flipping the momentum. And not everyone was ready to blame the officiating. Kings guard Zach LaVine made that clear, saying, “We still had a real opportunity to win that game regardless of free throws. I don’t ever want to put it on that.”

Even though it felt like the Lakers were living at the free-throw line, the Kings still had their chances.

The Kings appeared poised to seize control early in the fourth quarter, opening the period on an 11–2 run to grab a four-point lead. But just as Sacramento found momentum, their offense abruptly hit a wall at the worst possible moment.

The Lakers capitalized in emphatic fashion, flipping the game with a 20–5 surge fueled by three Austin Reaves triples and timely inside production from Deandre Ayton and Rui Hachimura.

What had been a narrow Kings advantage quickly turned into an 11-point Lakers lead midway through the quarter, as Los Angeles’ execution sharpened while Sacramento’s rhythm unraveled.

But this isn’t the first time the Lakers have found themselves under the microscope for getting favorable calls. Draymond Green had already called it out earlier this month. During the Warriors’ preseason showdown in L.A., things got testy when the numbers didn’t add up, the Lakers, without LeBron or Luka, still took 35 free throws, while Golden State got just eight.

Austin Reaves shines amid Lakers’ injury crisis

The Lakers have been running on fumes lately. With LeBron James out nursing a sciatic injury and Luka Dončić sidelined by a sprained finger and lower leg contusion, things already looked rough. Then came another hit: Marcus Smart limping off with a right leg issue and Gabe Vincent rolling his ankle just moments later.

Add in the absence of Jaxson Hayes, Maxi Kleber, and rookie Adou Thiero, and suddenly the Lakers’ depth was being tested like never before.

But when everything seemed to be crumbling, Austin Reaves rose like a spark in the dark.

Stepping into a void left by injured stars, The 27-year-old delivered the game of his life, a career-high 51 points, nearly flirting with a triple-double, and leading LA to a gutsy win. He went 12-for-22 from the field, nailed six threes, and was lights out at the line, hitting 21 of 22 free throws.

The history he made:

• He became only the fourth undrafted player in NBA history to ever score 50 or more points in a game, joining elite company, excluding Moses Malone (who was drafted into the ABA).
• His 51-point, 11-rebound stat line made him the first undrafted player since Neil Johnston in 1954 to record a 50-point double-double.
• It was only the second time in his career that he’s scored 45+ points.
• He became the 12th player in Lakers history to hit the 50-point mark, sharing that stage with legends like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Wilt Chamberlain, and Kobe Bryant, who did it 46 times.

And statistically, his 22 free-throw attempts were the sixth most by a single player in the past three NBA seasons.

Even Lakers coach JJ Redick couldn’t stop smiling afterward. “He was fantastic, did a little bit of everything for us tonight all over the place… These moments are incredible for him,” Redick said, praising Reaves for stepping up when the team needed him most.