Reaves recaptures his dominant form in comeback win over Sixers.
Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves looked like he never missed a beat in his second game back from a calf injury, dropping 35 points in just 25 minutes off the bench as the Lakers beat the Philadelphia 76ers 119-115 on Thursday night.
After the game, when asked about regaining confidence in his drives, Reaves kept it simple.
"I kind of just feel normal. Just felt like myself playing basketball."
Reaves Makes It Look Easy
That "normal" version of Reaves was anything but ordinary against the Sixers, as he shot 12-of-17 from the field and 5-of-8 from three while adding five rebounds and two assists in a game the Lakers needed every bit of his production.
Luka Doncic left with a hamstring injury in the first half, so Los Angeles had to rally from a 14-point deficit without its best player, and Reaves carried the load down the stretch with 13 of his points coming in the fourth quarter.
The 27-year-old had been out since Christmas Day after suffering a grade 2 calf strain during a loss to the Houston Rockets, missing 19 straight games while the Lakers tried to keep their heads above water.
In his first game back against the Brooklyn Nets on February 3, Reaves looked a little rusty with 15 points on 3-of-9 shooting, but Thursday was a completely different story.
"For the last two maybe three weeks, I've been grinding," Reaves said. "I felt like I got a good rhythm from that."
What Reaves Means for the Rest of the Season
The numbers tell you everything about how much the Lakers need Reaves going forward.
Los Angeles is 31-19 and sitting fifth in the Western Conference, but the difference with and without him is hard to ignore.
The Lakers went 10-9 during his absence and are 17-8 in games he has played, which is a significant gap that shows how much he impacts winning on both ends.
Before the injury, Reaves was putting together an All-Star caliber season and is still averaging 26.5 points, 5.2 rebounds and 5.9 assists per game on 51.1 percent shooting from the field.
Those numbers put him in rare company alongside Doncic, who is averaging 32.8 points, 7.8 rebounds and 8.6 assists as the NBA's leading scorer.
With Doncic now dealing with a hamstring issue and facing an MRI, the timing of Reaves' return could not have been better.
Head coach JJ Redick called what Reaves did against the Sixers "remarkable" for someone only two games into his comeback and still on a minutes restriction.
Looking Ahead
Los Angeles hosts the Golden State Warriors on Saturday in the first of a five-game homestand leading into the All-Star break, and if Doncic has to miss time, Reaves will likely slide back into the starting lineup and take on an even bigger role alongside LeBron James.
The Lakers also picked up sharpshooter Luke Kennard from the Atlanta Hawks at the trade deadline, which should help spread the floor around Reaves as he works back to full speed.
If Thursday night was any sign of what is to come, the Lakers have their guy back at just the right time.