Austin Reaves’ 35-Point Second-Half Surge Propels Lakers Over 76ers, 119-115
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LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Lakers returned from an eight-game road swing and outlasted the Philadelphia 76ers 119-115 on Thursday night at Crypto.com Arena.
Both clubs entered with nearly identical records, but the first half favored Philadelphia as Joel Embiid repeatedly capitalized on switches and mid-range looks. Los Angeles’ offense stalled, and matters worsened when Luka Doncic left late in the second quarter with lower-leg soreness and did not reappear.
The contest flipped after intermission behind guard Austin Reaves. In just his second outing since a calf injury, Reaves came off the bench and caught fire, shooting efficiently from deep and pouring in 35 points along with five rebounds and two assists across 25 minutes. He drilled several difficult fourth-quarter three-pointers that delivered the Lakers’ first lead and ultimately the win.
Veteran big man Maxi Kleber, pressed into duty while Jaxson Hayes served a one-game suspension, contributed a transition dunk, four rebounds, four assists and three steals. Though his four points were modest, Kleber’s rotations and hustle plays helped steady the defense during the comeback.
Reaves’ burst powered one of Los Angeles’ best halves of the 2025-26 campaign and secured the team’s first game back home.
What’s Next
The Lakers stay in Southern California to meet the Golden State Warriors on Saturday, then host the Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday.
Source: LakersNation.com
