Reaves Jokes With Doncic After Career-High 51 Lifts Lakers Past Kings
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Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves poured in a career-best 51 points on Sunday night, then immediately let backcourt partner Luka Doncic know who now owns the team’s highest single-game total.
Reaves reached the half-century mark in a road victory over the Sacramento Kings, eclipsing the 49 points Doncic scored three nights earlier against the Minnesota Timberwolves—a total Doncic missed by one free throw at the end of that contest.
“I’m not gonna lie, when I got to the line I thought, ‘I better not miss,’” Reaves said after the game. According to Reaves, the two guards had texted the morning of the game, with Doncic telling him, “I need 60.” Reaves settled for 51, and now plans to remind the four-time All-NBA selection that he hit 50 first.
The friendly trash talk highlights the chemistry the Lakers hoped to see when they paired the 25-year-old Reaves with Doncic in the offseason. While some observers have questioned the duo’s defensive fit, both players say the banter keeps them competitive and loose.
Reaves also emphasized that the individual milestone mattered less than the 124-118 win that helped the Lakers stay in the thick of the Western Conference playoff race. “It wouldn’t have meant as much if we didn’t get the win,” he said.
Doncic, known for his own trash-talking flair, has yet to record a 50-point outing in a Lakers uniform. Reaves made it clear he will keep that fact in the conversation until his teammate tops it.
Source: Lakers Nation
