Austin Reaves has quietly stepped up as one of the Lakers‘ key players, especially in his 4th season. After the D’Lo trade, he found himself taking on the role of the primary playmaker, and he’s shown he can handle the pressure. Though not a natural floor general, the 6-foot-5 guard has thrived in the role. In the last ten games, he was playing at an All-Star level, averaging 22.2 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 8.9 assists, with a solid 40.6% from three. He’s proving to be more than just an option—he’s become a real force.

But it could all come crashing down.

Austin Reaves had to exit the game with about three minutes remaining in the 4th quarter after a tough landing. He took a hard spill while going for an offensive rebound against a few Clippers players and hobbled off the court, clearly limping. The way he walked to the bench had fans holding their breath—let’s hope this doesn’t turn into anything major for the Lakers’ guard.

JJ Redick then shared that Austin Reaves had hurt his knee late in the fourth and had to step out. And the LA team will evaluate how he feels tomorrow. The injured Laker dropped 14 points on 4-of-6 shooting, but he also struggled with the ball, finishing with five turnovers and just three assists. The Clippers cruised to a 116-102 win, sending the Lakers to a 22-18 record in the season. It wasn’t even close! The Redick-led side has some work to do if they want to get back on track.

Lakers suffer defeat, as they play the Clippers outside of Crypto.com Arena for the first time this century!

The Lakers and Clippers squared off for the first time at the brand-new Intuit Dome in Inglewood, ending their long-standing rivalry at Crypto.com Arena. The game got off to a quick start with Norman Powell lighting things up for the home side. LeBron James responded with back-to-back threes, but the LA Clippers stayed hot with James Harden’s four-point play and Kawhi Leonard knocking down a deep three. By the end of the first quarter, the Clippers had a 32-26 lead.

The second quarter saw the home team’s lead grow, as Powell and Porter Jr. extended the gap to double digits. Meanwhile, the Lakers couldn’t get their offense going, struggling with careless turnovers… And at halftime, the Clippers held a commanding 64-49 lead.

In the third, the Lakers tried to mount a comeback, but Ivica Zubac’s dominance on the offensive glass and more mistakes kept the deficit growing. They ended the quarter with a late 11-0 run, cutting it to 92-77.

LeBron James led the charge early in the fourth, pulling the Lakers to within 11, but costly mistakes like Austin Reaves’ turnover allowed The Beard to hit a clutch three. The Clips, led by Powell, Zubac, and Harden, closed out the game with ease, finishing with a 116-102 victory.

“We have a 22-18 record, we have a negative net rating. Some of that is lost games because we’ve died. We just don’t have a huge margin for error. And nor can we create that margin organically,” JJ Redick admitted after the game. Interestingly, LeBron James agreed on the ‘error-margin’ part too. The Lakers, against teams with records .500 or better, are just 11-18 this season.

It’s clear that something needs to change in LA. Quickly.