Oct 13, 2026; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves (15) shoots against the Golden State Warriors in the second quarter at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Candice Ward-Imagn Images
After missing the Los Angeles Lakers’ first two preseason games, Austin Reaves had a decent debut against the Sacramento Kings as he led the team with eight assists, but shot just 2-of-7 from the field and finished with eight points.
Reaves would bounce back in a big way on Tuesday night against the Golden State Warriors, however, looking in All-Star form as he knocked down 10-of-18 from the field and 4-of-7 from 3-point range to finish with a game-high 28 points to go along with seven assists and four rebounds in the Lakers’ loss. Afterwards, Reaves discussed what went into his big night.
“Just playing basketball the right way,” he said. “Our offense is gonna create us open shots, especially with the guys we have on the floor. So just playing the right way.”
While the second half wasn’t great for the Lakers, Reaves likely what he saw in the first half when they built a double-digit lead against the Warriors starters.
“It’s fun when you play basketball the right way. Especially in that second quarter, I thought we really had the ball moving playing good basketball.”
What’s most important is that Reaves looks ready to go with Opening Night just a week away. As usual, he looked excellent attacking the rim and knocking down shots from deep while also creating for his teammates as he was the primary operator with Luka Doncic getting a rest day. If there was one issue it was the turnovers as Reaves had seven, many coming on poor passes in the half court, but that is something that can be rectified.
There will be a lot more pressure on Reaves this season than any other in his career so far. After signing his new four-year contract, he is firmly the Lakers’ second option after Doncic and this team will be reliant on him performing at a high level on a nightly basis. He certainly showed he was capable of that for much of last season and his performance on Tuesday served as a reminder of just how good he is.
Reaves and Doncic were the highest scoring duo in the entire NBA last year and they will be looking to build off that for this season. The success of the Lakers will hinge on Reaves’ ability to play at an All-Star level and he was undoubtedly there against the Warriors.
Austin Reaves likes what Sandro Mamukelashvili brings to Lakers
Another player who will play a big role for the Lakers this season is Sandro Mamukelashvili, who has been one of the team’s best players in the preseason so far. And Reaves has been very impressed at how good he is and what he brings to this team.
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