The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Sacramento Kings 132-122 on Saturday night despite LeBron James' absence. Anthony Davis led LA with 36 points and 15 rebounds, but Austin Reaves accomplished a feat that had only previously been done by LeBron James and Magic Johnson in Lakers history, according to StatMuse.
Austin Reaves tonight:
— StatMuse (@statmuse) December 29, 2024
26 PTS
6 REB
16 AST (career-high)
Joins Magic and LeBron as the only Lakers to post those numbers in a game. pic.twitter.com/r2PvRzkmhr
Reaves recorded 26 points, six rebounds and a career-high amount of assists with 16. Reaves became only the third Lakers player in the history of the franchise to record those specific statistics in a game, joining LeBron and Johnson.
The Lakers are suddenly playing some of their best basketball of the season, having earned victories in five of their past six games. There were questions about the team before the recent winning stretch. However, the Lakers are beginning to silence their doubters.
LeBron has played well while on the floor, and Davis is leading the way. Reaves' impact should not be overlooked, though. The 26-year-old is recording per game averages of 20.7 points, 7.7 assists and 5.8 rebounds per outing during the Lakers' impressive last six games.
Reaves is taking a step forward as far as his scoring is concerned. Additionally, Reaves, a guard, is helping out in the rebounding department. Perhaps his greatest contribution in recent games has been his ability to get his teammates involved. He recorded 10 assists during Wednesday's win against the Warriors and as mentioned, Reaves had 16 assists on Saturday night.
Will Austin Reaves continue to play at All-Star level for Lakers?
Reaves is playing at a high level at the moment. The Lakers need him to continue producing as the season continues. In the end, Anthony Davis and LeBron James are the best players on the team, but Reaves is helping matters to say the least.
Of course, it goes beyond Davis, James and Reaves. LA needs a complete team effort. Rui Hachimura, Max Christie and Dalton Knecht are all capable of having big games. In fact, they all played well on Saturday. D'Angelo Russell is a good player as well, although he has been inconsistent at times.
The Lakers are a fascinating team. Most people around the NBA world do not consider them to be legitimate championship contenders, but this Lakers team does seem to be in the serious postseason conversation. Anything can happen once the playoffs begin, of course.
Los Angeles will have a couple of days off before playing the Cleveland Cavaliers at home on Tuesday night.