Austin Reaves got the ball in the corner and had a decent look from beyond the arc to send the Los Angeles Lakers into overtime in Game 4 on Sunday at Minnesota. The shot didn't fall, though, and the Timberwolves took a commanding 3-1 lead in the series after a gritty comeback in the final five minutes.
Reaves has had his best NBA season since he entered the league before the 2021-22 season as an undrafted free agent. Raised on a farm in Newark, Arkansas, Reaves came from a rural area that most people wouldn’t know where it is on the map. At the same time, he often felt overlooked as a player and has carried that chip on his shoulder for a while now.
Oklahoma fans saw that nearly every game once he transferred to the Sooners from Wichita State in 2019. Even though the talented 6-foot-5 guard showed his impressive ability to get to the rim and be a playmaker in Lon Kruger’s run-and-gun offensive system, the guard didn’t get much recognition from NBA scouts.
It’s ironic now that Reaves plays for the most popular NBA franchise in one of the more notable cities in America, but that hasn’t changed who Reaves is. He just wants to win, and if the Lakers want to come back from their deficit in the series, they may need the guard to take it up a notch further.
Lakers NBA Playoff hopes could rely on Austin Reaves
Reaves averaged a career-high 20.4 points a game in the regular season, improving upon a big leap from a season ago when he posted 15.9 ppg. His offensive efficiency has also been potent, shooting 37% from deep, 48.1% from the floor and 87.7% from the free-throw line.
In four games in the Western Conference First Round against the Timberwolves, Reaves has nearly mimicked those numbers, averaging 17.3 points, shooting 42% from the field and still hitting his free throws, shooting around 86%.
However, the Lakers have gotten little production from their bench in the series. Minnesota has a significant advantage in bench scoring and impact, especially in Game 3 from Naz Reid, Jaden McDaniels, and Donte DiVincenzo.
The Lakers can’t rely on LeBron James and Luka Doncic to bail them out with 30-point triple-double type games, and an explosion from Reaves would be essential toward the Lakers’ success. Reaves is capable, too, going for 45 points in an early February game against the Pacers.
It’s something that Lakers fans and Oklahoma fans would enjoy seeing, and one that Reaves indeed is capable of doing. After all, this is the same player who put up 27 points for the Sooners in a March Madness game against a Gonzaga team full of pros in 2021.
The spotlight wasn’t too big for him then, and Reaves has proven that he could take an extra step into NBA playoff stardom. Game 5 on Wednesday night would be a good start.
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