Austin Reaves professes love for basketball after last-second put-back lifts Lakers over Nuggets
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Los Angeles, CA — March 14, 2026
Guard Austin Reaves went from frustration to jubilation in a matter of seconds, capping the Los Angeles Lakers’ 118-115 overtime win against the Denver Nuggets with a play that instantly went viral inside Crypto.com Arena.
The decisive sequence
With 10.2 seconds left in regulation and the Lakers trailing 112-110, Denver elected to foul to prevent a potential game-tying three-pointer. After an exchange of free throws left Los Angeles down 115-112 and out of timeouts, Reaves intentionally missed his second attempt, caught the carom himself and banked in a layup as the buzzer sounded, forcing overtime.
Television cameras caught the 25-year-old mouthing “I love you” while gripping the ball moments after the shot. The clip spread quickly across social media.
Reaves explains the moment
“I don’t usually talk to the ball — unless it’s cursing when things go wrong,” Reaves said postgame. “I’d just been stripped by Nikola (Jokić) and felt I’d let the team down. When that bounce came back to me, everything flipped, so I told the ball how I felt.”
Career-night numbers
Reaves finished with a game-high 32 points on 12-for-21 shooting, adding seven rebounds and six assists. The performance continued his strong run since returning from injury, helping position Los Angeles for a postseason push.
Doncic on the crowd
Luka Dončić, who scored 27 points and has been in MVP contention, called the environment the best he has experienced since joining the Lakers. “The whole crowd was in; I had goosebumps,” he said.
The victory improved Los Angeles’ season record to 44-24, while Denver dropped to Forty-one-27.
Source: LakersNation.com
