Lakers defeat Magic behind Austin Reaves’ career-high 35 points.
LOS ANGELES — The Lakers climbed back into the win column on Sunday to beat the Orlando Magic 11–105 behind Austin Reaves’ career-high 35-point night to improve their record to 35–37.
In a crucial victory for the Lakers, the crowd at Crypto Arena cheered Austin Reaves with chants of “MVP” as he sank his final free throws.
“I grew up a Lakers fan,” said Reaves. “To do it for this organization is surreal.”
Reaves’ impressive performance was fueled by his knack for drawing fouls, which resulted in him attempting 18 free throws, of which he made 16. The 24-year-old guard also recorded six assists and six rebounds while shooting at a 64% (9-for-14) clip from the field in 30 minutes.
Reaves accounted for the Lakers' final 10 points, with his biggest shot coming just under the game's final minute, with a high pick-and-roll action with Anthony Davis, as Reaves got the friendly bounce off the jumper to give the Lakers the two-point lead.
Davis finished with a double-double of 15 points and 11 rebounds in a solid outing while adding four blocks and two steals in 34 minutes.
“We knew this was a must-win for us, and we went through whatever we could to secure this victory,” said Davis.
D’Angelo Russell finished second on the team in scoring with 28 points on 4-for-8 shooting from three and 6-for-12 shooting overall, notching six assists and two blocks in 33 minutes.
The Lakers’ next matchup comes this Wednesday at home against the Phoenix Suns at 7:30 p.m. on Spectrum SportsNet and NBA TV.
