Reaves’ Career-High 51 lifts shorthanded Lakers past Kings, 127–120
Alta Sports3 days ago
Missing both LeBron James and Luka Dončić, the Los Angeles Lakers still found a hero Monday morning (Manila time), as Austin Reaves erupted for a career-high 51 points to lead his team to a hard-fought 127–120 win over the Sacramento Kings at the Golden 1 Center.
Reaves was unstoppable all night, pouring in 21 points in the first half before taking over down the stretch. He also added 11 rebounds and nine assists, falling just one dime shy of a triple-double.
The Lakers came out scorching, hitting 12 of their first 19 attempts to grab an early nine-point cushion in the opening quarter. But Sacramento responded with a 13–2 burst early in the second period to seize control. From there, the game turned into a back-and-forth battle, with neither side gaining separation as the teams went into halftime tied at 62.
The tug-of-war continued in the third quarter until Reaves ignited a late surge draining a three-pointer, stealing the ball, and finishing in transition on the next play to give Los Angeles a slim five-point lead heading into the fourth.
Sacramento briefly reclaimed the advantage in the final frame, but Reaves once again took command, spearheading a 17–5 Lakers run that pushed the lead to double digits with under five minutes to play. The Kings mounted one last push, trimming the deficit to three in the final minute, but Reaves calmly knocked down a pair of free throws to seal the win, the Lakers’ second straight after their season-opening loss to the Golden State Warriors.
Zach LaVine led Sacramento with 32 points, while DeMar DeRozan added 21 in the losing effort.
With the victory, the Lakers improved to 2–1 and will return home to host the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday (Manila time). The Kings (1–2) will look to bounce back when they visit the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday.
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