Austin Reaves hits game-winner as Lakers hang on to defeat Timberwolves
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MINNEAPOLIS — At some point, the Lakers will get stars Luka Doncic and LeBron James back in the fold. But exactly when they will return to play from their injuries is still unknown.
James has been out all season with right sciatica irritation, and Doncic has been out since Sunday with a left finger sprain and a lower left leg contusion.
But in their absence, Austin Reaves has taken up the mantle and has delivered time and time again, his latest masterpiece a game-winning floater in the lane that lifted the Lakers to a 116-115 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves that led to Reaves being mobbed by his teammates Wednesday night at the Target Center.
The Lakers had lost all of their 20-point lead after Julius Randle scored to give the Timberwolves a 115-114 lead with 10.2 seconds left.
But Reaves wouldn’t let his teammates down, scoring 28 points and handing out a career-high-tying 16 assists.
Reaves split a double-team by Jayden McDaniels and Rudy Gobert and got into the lane. Donte DiVincenzo had come over to take a charge, but Reaves pulled up and scored just as the buzzer sounded.
He shyly admitted that his responsibility does increase when James and Doncic are not playing.
“Obviously, even when they’re playing, I put a big responsibility on myself,” Reaves said. “It’s different responsibilities, obviously, because they do so much for our team. But when we don’t have them, the responsibility changes…Physically, it’s a little more, but I’m always mentally trying to figure out how I can help with them two and without the two.
“So it’s definitely different in the sense of how I have to play and how I have to conduct myself.
“Can’t be frustrated, because at that time, everybody is looking at me and in those situations you have to be calm, be confident, and lead your guys…”
One play showed why there could be a bright future for Deandre Ayton’s revenge tour and the Lakers’ title hopes.
But even with the win, it would be nice to have Doncic and James back. Coach JJ Redick gave an injury update before the game.
“With Luka, again this is probably with the contusion, it’s a day-to-day thing,” Redick said. “I think the swelling’s gone down a little bit. His finger, it looks like he has one-and-a-half fingers now and not two. So, he’s progressing and we’re hopeful at some point in the next little bit, the next couple games, we’ll have an opportunity to have him back in the lineup.”
The Lakers delivered the news about James’ injury on Oct. 9, saying he would be re-evaluated in three to four weeks. Three weeks would be the NBA Cup game at Memphis on Friday and four weeks would be the game at Atlanta on Nov. 8.
It sounds as if the latter is more in line for James to come back.
“No change for LeBron. I think we’re probably somewhere right around that timeline to hopefully get him back in the lineup,” Redick said. “But obviously this thing has to continue to progress with all his return-to-play protocols. So, we don’t have a target date. It’s just somewhere in that general timeline. We hope that he’s kind of checked all the boxes and he’s going to be back sometime in that second or third week in November.”
The Lakers did get a piece back to help their cause when backup center Jaxson Hayes returned after missing the last three games with left patellar tendinopathy. But guard Marcus Smart (right quad contusion) was downgraded to out for the game.
“We’re up to eight guys, eight roster players ready to go,” Redick said.
And, again, that put more pressure on Reaves because he’s the Lakers’ primary ballhandler. The Timberwolves were fully aware and put their best defender, McDaniels, on Reaves.
But this week, nothing has stopped Reaves from taking the mantle with James and Doncic out.
There was his 51-point career-high Sunday in Sacramento, followed by 41 against Portland on Monday and now this 28-point piece that was capped by a buzzer-beater.
“It’s been special,” Reaves said about his week. In those situations, I don’t remember seeing the ball going in the basket. For some reason, I knew it went in the basket. [I] kind of probably blacked out a little bit and then I looked down towards the bench and everybody is running towards me. It’s just a good feeling… Like I said, everybody get back. Luka, hurry up. Bron, hurry up.”
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The Timberwolves didn’t have guard Anthony Edwards, who was out with a right hamstring strain.
The Lakers said rookie forward Adou Thiero (left knee recovery) has been cleared for live on-court contact work and his next step for his returning to play is participating in five-on-five activities. Thiero has been assigned to the South Bay Lakers, their G-League team, and he will also practice with the Lakers over the next week.
