The Los Angeles Lakers beat the New Orleans Pelicans 133-121 on Sunday night to extend their winning streak to seven games. LeBron James sat this one out as a precaution since it was the first game of a back-to-back. But L.A. still won easily.
Advertisement
The Lakers raced out to a 19-point lead to end the first quarter and then coasted the rest of the way. JJ Redick’s team is now 15-4 and in possession of the second-best record in the Western Conference. It’s a testament to what Redick has done in just his second year on the bench.
The Lakers appear to be such a legitimate contender. And more than anything, it’s been the duo of Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves that has carried the team this season.
After combining for 67 points against the Pelicans, Doncic and Reaves are now averaging 63.6 points per game. That’s more than 10 points better than the league’s next-closest duo, Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray. After Sunday’s victory, Reaves spoke about what makes the two of them so lethal together.
“He draws a lot of attention, and then I’m able to play advantage basketball, basically, on the backside of that,” Reaves said. “That gravity that he has on the court, it’s impossible to guard him any certain way because of his ability to pass the ball, his unselfishness, and his shot-making ability.”
There was a lot of concern about the Lakers heading into the season since they were bounced easily in the first round of the playoffs last year. To add to that, they were missing LeBron in the first month. But Doncic and Reaves have raised their games.
Much was made of ‘Skinny Luka’ this summer as he got into the best shape of his life. Doncic has delivered on that promise while emphatically placing himself in the MVP conversation by leading the league in scoring.
Reaves, meanwhile, has done what he’s done every year he’s been in the league after getting drafted by the Lakers in 2021. He has gotten markedly better from one year to the next.
Reaves is currently averaging career highs in points, rebounds, assists, steals, and minutes. And he has not only shown that he can be a No. 2 option behind Doncic, but he’s also reiterated through performances that he can carry the team when both Luka and LeBron sit.
There aren’t many players capable of outscoring Doncic right now, but Reaves is one of them. Doncic beat him 34 to 33 on Sunday. And, after missing his final free throw, Reaves joked, “I need to keep Luka’s confidence high. I don’t need to outscore him two nights in a row.”
Redick acknowledged how good Reaves has been. “There’s a cadence to his game… He has a great understanding of when he has a good matchup, of how to play with Luka, so the flow state that every athlete searches for, he’s just in that right now,” said the coach.
With Doncic and Reaves playing at such a high level, the Lakers have the luxury of keeping LeBron fresh this season. So he’ll hopefully be at his best by the time the playoffs roll around.
No other team boasts three players capable of scoring and creating shots for others like this trio can. So if Doncic, Reaves, and LeBron are healthy in April, look out.
The Thunder, meanwhile, are on another level at 20-1. After the defending champs, most people have the Nuggets and Rockets as the favorites. But the way Doncic and Reaves are playing, the Lakers need to be part of that tier, too.
