The Los Angeles Lakers landed in Miami at 5:00 a.m. on Thursday, just hours before facing the Heat at Kaseya Center. Despite the draining schedule, LeBron James, Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves—all listed as questionable after Wednesday’s win over the Houston Rockets—chose to suit up. After the 121-113 victory, Reaves explained why the trio refused to rest.
“When Bron said he was playing, I couldn’t let a 41-year-old take the floor while I sat,” Reaves told Spectrum SportsNet. “Luka felt the same way, so we all committed and found a way to get the win.”
Exhaustion showed early, but the Lakers recovered behind another dominant effort from Dončić, who poured in 60 points. James added a triple-double, and Reaves supplied 18 points with a plus-13 rating as Los Angeles collected its eighth straight victory.
Reaves said James’ mind-set also set the tone during an early timeout. “Someone mentioned we looked tired,” Reaves recalled. “Bron immediately said, ‘I’m not tired,’ so I wasn’t tired either. We just followed his lead.”
Thursday’s game marked one of the most productive outings yet for the Lakers’ newly formed Big 3. March has seen the group find its rhythm, with James embracing a playmaking role, Dončić spearheading the scoring load and Reaves sliding into a complementary spot.
The win lifted Los Angeles to 8-0 since James returned from a brief absence, quieting talk that the team fared better without him.
Source: LakersNation.com
