1:45 AM
Austin Reaves, a Los Angeles Lakers rookies, was the one who was going to hit the game-winning 3 to beat the Mavericks in overtime.
He was passed on by all 30 teams on draft night, and only got a two-way contract with the Lakers.
The main reason Reaves was playing in the fourth quarter and overtime was because L.A. had little other choice. Over the past 48 hours, the team was without many players and staff members due to the league's health and safety protocols.
The context was unimportant when Reaves let a pass from Russell Westbrook fly from the right wing with 1.0 seconds left in the extra session. He has been a basketball player for as long as he can remember.
"It's been the story of my life," Reaves said. I've always been underestimated. I didn't go to a big high school, but I did get recruited, so I have to produce on the basketball court for my teammates to trust me to take that shot.
The shot gave Reaves 15 points, setting a new career high in scoring, and was his fifth made 3-pointer in six attempts. His teammates, future Hall of Famers and All-Stars among them, mobbed the young man from Arkansas near midcourt after Dallas' Reggie Bullock couldn't get his desperation 3 off before the final buzzer.
Reaves was put in a headlock. He tussled with his hair. When the group got back to the locker room, they were presented with the game ball by James, and Jordan snuck up behind Reaves to dump the ice water on him.
Reaves said that the genuine nature of the guys was what stuck out. "You don't see that much with the type of guys that we have on this team -- six Hall of Famers and then all the guys that have been in the league for a long time." The genuineness of it is special.
I'm lost for words. I've grown up watching all of these guys play, so it's special for me to be a teammate with them.
It was a show of exuberance for the Lakers, who have not had much to be happy about this season. The positive COVID-19 tests that hit the team this week, making players unavailable, seemed to fit that trend.
The Lakers have now won six of their past eight games, and Reaves kept them going with his wrist flick.
James said that the Lakers' season has not gone as they had hoped. It's gone as it has gone. You want to be better when you play the game. You want to be better every day. We want to continue to work our habits and do what we have to to be great. We are a team. There are a lot of injuries and mixed lineups. Guys are in protocols and false protocols.
We like where we're at, and we are what we are right now.
James' answer was the same as Reaves' when he was asked about James lighting into him in a timeout when the Mavs hit a 3.
Reaves said that the discussion was about him messing up on defense. I didn't get to the shooter. He made the shot. It's basketball. The other team is also trying to achieve something. I don't think things go right when they go wrong. I try to stay level-headed no matter who I'm playing with or what teammate I'm playing with. I think it's just my nature, and my mentality is the same. Never too high or too low.
The Lakers' performance in crunch time has been one of the high points of the season so far. Reaves shot pushed their record to 5-1.
"We have guys in the locker room that can make plays at the end of the game, even though there will be ups and downs throughout the year," said Westbrook. It's a good feeling to know that the guys can close the games when we need them to.
