Austin Reaves Says Lakers’ Self-Belief Soars During Nine-Game Surge
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The Los Angeles Lakers stretched their season-best winning streak to nine games on Saturday, defeating the Orlando Magic at Kia Center in Orlando, Florida. Guard Austin Reaves credited the club’s growing confidence and versatility for the run.
“Good,” Reaves told Spectrum SportsNet when asked about the team’s mindset. “We’ve done it in different ways. We’ve won ugly games where it wasn’t great offensively, we’ve won with our defense, and then we’ve dominated some games offensively. Just getting in a rhythm playing alongside one another, having fun and getting wins.”
Head coach JJ Redick has emphasized two-way effort, and the starters have responded. Opponents often target Reaves on defense, yet the third-year guard has fought through those challenges while providing energy at both ends.
Roots of a Competitive Edge
Reaves, a native of Newark, Arkansas, traced his refusal to lose back to childhood battles with his older brother. “At a young age, I never won anything,” he said. “With my brother being two years older than me—basketball, baseball, tennis, ping-pong—he never let me win. So I grew a hatred to losing. Winning fixes everything.”
Lead by Example
Los Angeles struggled with consistency earlier in the season, but veteran stars have set a more urgent tone. LeBron James dove for a loose ball against the Denver Nuggets, while Luka Dončić is averaging 2.7 steals over his last 10 outings. Reaves has chipped in 1.4 steals during the same span.
The surge arrives at a pivotal moment in a tightly packed Western Conference. With the postseason approaching, the Lakers are pursuing home-court advantage.
Memorable Moment in Denver
Reaves’ season highlight came against Denver when he intentionally missed a free throw, reclaimed the ball and floated in a shot to force overtime—a game Los Angeles eventually won to secure a key tiebreaker. Cameras later caught him telling the basketball, “I love you,” a lighthearted gesture that underscored the guard’s growing comfort in a backcourt role next to Dončić.
The Lakers will look to extend their streak as they continue a road swing later this week.
Source: Lakers Nation
