LeBron James and Avery Bradley headlined the Los Angeles Lakers’ blowout win against the Oklahoma City Thunder, but one player was an unsung hero: Austin Reaves.
The undrafted rookie first impressed in the preseason and played rotation minutes early in the regular season due to injuries to players above him in the depth chart.
But a hamstring injury set him back, and he didn’t re-insert himself into the rotation until his performance against the Thunder.
The 23-year-old guard put up 13 points on 4-of-7 shooting overall and 4-of-4 shooting from the charity stripe to go with five rebounds and two assists. His ability to attack off the dribble wowed fans, and even head coach Frank Vogel.
“He was spectacular tonight,” Vogel said after the win. “That’s the performance I was looking for from him, to have confidence that he’s back from his injury and to continue to give him a bigger role.”
See how NBA Twitter reacted to Reaves’ display: