Austin Reaves does it again, stuns Timberwolves with buzzer-beating floater, saving Lakers from 20-point second-half collapse
The Los Angeles Lakers tried their best to blow a 20-point lead against the Minnesota Timberwolves. But as he’s done throughout the season in the absence of LeBron James and now Luka Dončić, Austin Reaves played the hero Wednesday night.
The Timberwolves roared back from a 20-point second-half deficit to take a 115-114 lead on a Julius Randle bucket with 10.2 seconds remaining while playing at home without injured superstar Anthony Edwards (hamstring).
The Lakers called timeout to set up a game-winning bucket for Reaves. And he delivered with a floater in the lane as time expired to secure a 116-115 Lakers win.
The bucket capped another sensational effort from Reaves, who continues to thrive as the Lakers’ No. 1 option.
Reaves keeps on doing it
With Dončić and James both sidelined Sunday, Reaves dropped a career-high 51 points to lead a 127-120 win over the Sacramento Kings. With both sidelined again he scored 41 in a losing effort against the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday.
But there was no swallowing a loss with Wednesday’s effort, which featured considerably more from Reaves than his game-ending heroics. Reaves once again led the Lakers in scoring with 28 points. And he chipped in a career-high 16 assists along with two steals.
[Get more Lakers news: Los Angeles team feed]
Reaves continues to demonstrate when called upon to carry the load that he can and does.
When will Dončić, James return?
It remains unclear how much longer Reaves will carry the alpha role for the Lakers. Dončić has been sidelined since Sunday with a lower left finger sprain and a lower left leg contusion. The initial reports stated that he would be re-evaluated in a week.
James, meanwhile, has yet to play this season due to sciatica that was initially reported as expected to sideline him through mid-November. Both players remain without a precise timeline to return.
When asked for an update on both players before Wednesday’s game, head coach JJ Redick offered little clarity and vague timelines that mirrored those that were already reported.
In the meantime, it remains the Austin Reaves show in Los Angeles. And so far, that’s been good for a 3-2 start for a team playing without its All-NBA superstars.
Lakers nearly blew it
For most of Wednesday’s game, the Lakers didn’t appear to need Reaves’ heroics. Behind an out-of-nowhere 27-point effort from journeyman Jake LaRavia, the Lakers took a 62-58 lead into halftime that they extended to 95-75 late in the third quarter.
They kept the Timberwolves at bay through most of the fourth and led by 16 points with 6:36 remaining. But Donte DiVincenzo scored eight of his 14 points in that final 6:36 and sparked a 24-7 rally that Randle capped with a layup in traffic over LaRavia with 10.2 seconds remaining. The bucket gave the Timberwolves their first lead of the second half.
It capped an outstanding night from Randle, who finished with a game-high 33 points alongside six assists and five rebounds while shooting 4 of 7 from 3.
But it wasn’t enough to fend off Reaves, who continues to be one of the most compelling stories of the early NBA season.
