OKLAHOMA CITYย โย Austin Reaves has officially entered the Lakersโ postseason chat. It might still be too little, too late.
The Lakers guard responded to his worst playoff performance with his best, recording a playoff career-high 31 points Thursday in the Lakersโ 125-107 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder at Paycom Center.
But against the powerful Thunder, Reaves didnโt get a chance to punctuate his comeback night with any emphatic celebration. He instead ended the game in a heated conversation with officials, surrounded by almost all of his teammates as the Lakers felt they were battling the referees and the Thunder in equal measure.
Reavesโ game-high scoring effort wasnโt enough to fend off the relentless defending champions that had six players score in double figures, including three with 20 or more points. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Chet Holmgren each had 22 points for the Thunder, who take a 2-0 lead as the best-of-seven series turns to Los Angeles for Game 3 on Saturday.
With Luka Doncic sidelined because of a hamstring injury that is expected to keep him out for three more weeks, the Lakers are still outmanned in the Western Conference semifinals despite Reavesโ recent return. He rushed back from a Grade 2 left oblique strain in time to play in the Lakersโ first-round series but has struggled to find his rhythm after a month-long absence.
He shot a dreadful three for 16 from the field in Game 1 against the Thunder, finished with only eight points and missed all five of his three-point shots. Including his two first-round games, Reaves had missed 14 consecutive three-pointers entering Game 2.
Criticism of Reaves dominated social media after Game 1. The 27-year-old guard is due for a new contract this summer that would solidify his status as one of the sportโs star players. A slow start to these playoffs and last yearโs postseason struggles made Reaves an online punching bag for fan frustrations.
But the low-key Reaves is โone of the least chronically online NBA players there is,โ Lakers coach JJ Redick said before the game. The extent of Reavesโ social media usage is his long-time friend Trent Swaim posting golfing videos on the duoโs โHillbilly Bogeyโ accounts and Reaves asking his representatives to post sponsored content for his endorsement deals.
He doesnโt need to troll internet comments to fuel his game. Reaves can do that on his own.
Lakers guard Austin Reaves, center right, talks with referee John Goble, center left, after the teamโs loss in Game 2 on Thursday night in Oklahoma City.
(Nate Billings / Associated Press)
โHeโs got a great sense of self-accountability to where heโs his own worst critic,โ Redick said before the game, โand heโs going to hold himself to a standard of how he wants to play.โ
Reaves drove aggressively into the paint early Thursday, tying the score 16-16 in the first quarter on a three-point play after the Lakers erased an early seven-point deficit. He had 13 points in the first half as the Lakers took a one-point lead into the locker room. He scored or assisted on the Lakersโ first 11 points of the third quarter as the team built a five-point lead with 8:35 to go in the third.
โThatโs what we need Austin to be,โ guard Luke Kennard said. โEven though he missed some shots last game, he was aggressive and he just got back into it. โฆ I know a lot of people can think itโs easy to just come back and play a basketball game but at this level, what heโs done last series and now, itโs impressive. We need him to continue to be aggressive. Heโs such a good teammate, easy to play with. Itโs good to see him have a really good game and, hopefully gives him confidence going into the next one.โ
The Lakers need to play near-perfect basketball to have a chance to knock off the defending champions. The Thunder took a 2-0 series lead against the Lakers despite relatively quiet performances from Gilgeous-Alexander. The reigning most valuable player had 18 points in Game 1 and was limited to less than 28 minutes Thursday because of foul trouble.
When Gilgeous-Alexander picked up his fourth foul with 10:34 remaining in the third quarter Thursday, the Thunder trailed 66-61. They didnโt need their star to rip off a 27-19 run to finish the quarter and take a commanding 13-point lead into the fourth.
The Lakers had seven turnovers during the decisive stretch. Reaves had five of the Lakersโ 21 total giveaways and the miscues turned into 26 points for the Thunder, who led the league in points off turnovers during the regular season.
โIt starts with the turnovers,โ Reaves said. โI think youโre not going to be perfect; youโre going to have turnovers. Just trying to eliminate the live-ball turnovers where they get easy fast-break layups or threes or dunks.โ
