Austin Reaves

The do-or-die Game Five to decide the fate of the Los Angeles Lakers’ season may have taken place on the road. But with two minutes remaining, his team down a pair, and his reputation as a proven late-game bucket-getter both intact and in need of a new example, Austin Reaves couldn’t have been more at home. Built for the bright lights in a series defined by clutch shots and big-time fourth quarter performances, the versatile third-year guard steps up to the plate, testing Kentavious Caldwell-Pope’s intensity with a quick size-up dribble before smoothly draining a crowd-silencing, 27-foot bomb to supply the Lakers with a one-point advantage. Stationed among the NBA regular season’s top finishers when it came to scoring in the final minutes of one-score games, Reaves again rose to the occasion during Los Angeles’ gut-wrenching loss to the Denver Nuggets on April 29, 2024. Playing the role of offensive co-star, Reaves kept the statisticians busy, tallying up 19 points, three rebounds, four assists, three steals, two blocks, and one 3-pointer.