Luka Doncic was bad on Friday night. Relative to the all-world superstar expectations that Doncic carries every time he steps on the court, his performance against the Los Angeles Clippers was wildly disappointing. Luckily for the Los Angeles Lakers, Austin Reaves picked up the slack.
Reaves poured in 28 points, shooting 10-of-13 from the field, to go with nine assists on the offensive end. His efforts led the Lakers, and ultimately helped secure an uncomfortable 125-117 win over the Clippers. AR15 looked every bit of the max player that Los Angeles paid up for.
There were hiccups for Reaves, too. Mainly it was the turnovers (again). The Lakers guard finished with six giveaways in this one, which was somehow still five less than his superstar running mate. On a night like this, the steadying hand of the other backcourt star in Los Angeles was an absolute must-have.
Lakers' decision to pay up for Austin Reaves shined in its wisdom against the Clippers
Many around the NBA would have agreed that Reaves earned the max contract he got during this past summer. Even so, there were still skeptics of that deal.
No one is going to sit here and say Reaves deserves every last penny of his new agreement thanks to a regular season win against the Clippers. However, there was a clear desire from the Lakers to see Austin be the second star who was directly supporting Doncic in Los Angeles. This game shows why.
Reaves has been incredibly efficient as a scorer to start the new season. On a night when Luka struggled mightily with his shot, Austin stepped up in exactly the type of way he needed to. The Lakers guard was steady, decisive, and even let his scoring success fuel playmaking for others.
There were murmurings ahead of 2026 free agency that teams like the Detroit Pistons and Atlanta Hawks wanted to make a push for Reaves. That got Rob Pelinka out of his seat to send a contract offer to his star guard that would not be turned down. Risking a departure from his homegrown star would not have sat well with anyone.
Reaves has gotten better at every opportunity in his career. Every chance that has been given to him has been rewarded with increase aptitude in his responsibilities. At 28 years old, the late bloomer appears to still be rising. There was no real reason for the Lakers to let that type of player walk.
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