JJ Redick Praises Austin Reaves After 43-Point Night in Lakers’ Win Over Pistons

Austin Reaves was on one leg with the shot clock winding down when he let go of a 3-pointer in the final minute on Sunday. The shot fell, putting the Los Angeles Lakers up eight with 46 seconds left in a 121-116 win over the Detroit Pistons at Little Caesars Arena.

Reaves finished with a season-high 43 points as the Lakers improved to 9-2 with their fifth straight victory. Afterward, head coach JJ Redick praised the way Reaves attacked the paint throughout the game.

“I thought AR’s decision-making, his aggression, his ability to just consistently touch the paint and get downhill was fantastic tonight,” Redick said.

Luka Dončić missed his second game of the season with lower back tightness, leaving Reaves to lead the offense against a Detroit team that entered with the NBA’s top-ranked defense. The Lakers improved to 2-0 in games Dončić has missed.

Reaves shot 14-for-27 from the field and made four of his six 3-point attempts, including a step-back that banked in during the third quarter. He also went 11-for-11 at the free-throw line, where he accounted for more than a quarter of his points.

Reaves added five rebounds and four assists and committed just one turnover in nearly 37 minutes. That turnover total stood out given how often he had the ball and how much the Lakers depended on him to create shots for himself and his teammates.

Quentin Grimes scored 10 of his 12 points in the first quarter, helping Los Angeles build a 38-14 lead. The Lakers went ahead by as many as 26 before Detroit worked its way back into the game.

The Pistons cut the deficit to 90-89 with 9:14 remaining in the fourth quarter while Reaves was on the bench. Redick said he wanted to give Reaves his scheduled rest and let the players on the floor work through that stretch after the guard had played 28 of the game’s first 33 minutes.

Collin Sexton and Ziaire Williams each scored 17 points off the bench, giving the Lakers two more scoring options with Dončić out. Walker Kessler finished with 12 points, 16 rebounds and three blocks as five Lakers reached double figures.

Detroit was still within five in the final minute when the Lakers struggled to get into their offense. Reaves got the ball with the shot clock running down and made the 3-pointer that pushed the lead to 112-104, leaving the Pistons to chase an eight-point deficit in the final 46 seconds.

The loss dropped Detroit to 6-3. The Lakers head to Atlanta for the second night of their back-to-back on Monday.