The Los Angeles Lakers were in for an incredible battle against the Houston Rockets on Sunday night. The 19,000 supporters present at the Crypto.com Arena were treated to an action-packed thriller that went down to the wire. A contest that witnessed a total of nine lead changes and ties ultimately ended in LeBron James and co.’s favor as they edged out the Rockets 105-104.
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Alperen Sengun had an absolutely brilliant display for the Texas side, recording a 23-point double-double. However, it was LeBron James who was the undisputed star of the night. The King almost played for 40 minutes and finished with a stat line of 37 points, 6 rebounds, 8 assists, and 3 steals on 73.7% FG.
Apart from Anthony Davis’ double-double, Austin Reaves also had a great production. The guard came off the bench and erupted for a 17-point, 6-rebound, and 6-assist performance.
Despite his impressive display, Reaves did have to hear a word of criticism from LBJ. At some point during the course of the bout, it was evident that AR didn’t put as much effort on the defensive end. Allowing Jae’Sean Tate to get past him easily, Bron called out the 25-year-old for the same.
“Guard the motherfu***r,” James exclaimed.
LeBron James always expects the best out of his teammates. As a leader, James believes it is his responsibility to call out his teammates whenever they are not performing up to the mark. In the past, we’ve seen the superstar openly criticize Danny Green for not playing with any intent.
Austin Reaves made it up to LeBron James by knocking down the game-winning 3-pointer
Weighing less than 200 pounds, Austin Reaves is not the most physical player. In fact, due to his size and lack of mobility, we’ve often seen Reaves get tossed around on the defensive end. On this occasion, it was extremely easy for Tate, who is 33 pounds heavier, to body AR.
However, Austin Reaves did make up for his lack of defensive efforts. During the fourth quarter of the contest, he scored nine crucial points on an impressive 100/100/80 shooting split. With 25 seconds remaining in the contest, the game tied at 100 apiece, Reaves proceeded to knock down the game-winning 31-foot three-pointer.
After drilling the dagger, Reaves admitted that he pointed at LeBron’s son – Bronny James. Reaves even displayed his appreciation towards LeBron for allowing him to attempt the long-distance shot. Yes, Austin has not been having the best season. However, Lakers Nation will surely hope that the game-winning performance against the Rockets will allow him to get in the rhythm.
