Reaves Deliver Career-Best 51-Point Performance to Lift Undermanned Lakers Past Kings

Austin Reaves had the best game of his career leading the Los Angeles Lakers to a 127-120 win over the Sacramento Kings on Sunday night.

Reaves dropped 51 points along with 11 rebounds and nine assists anchoring the Lakers' second straight victory, without their two best players, Luka Doncic and LeBron James.

James will be out until November with sciatica, while Doncic will miss a week with a lower left leg contusion and a sprained left finger, as reported by ESPN's Shams Charania.

An Unforgettable Performance

His 50-point double-double will be etched in the minds of Lakers fans for life.

The 27-year-old showcased his impressive offensive package throughout the game, missing only one out of 22 free throws and draining a clutch jumper in the final minute to seal the win for his team.

He scored 15 points in the fourth quarter alone, picking up the slack for the absence of Doncic and James.

'He was fantastic, did a little bit of everything for us tonight all over the place ... These moments are incredible for him,' Lakers head coach JJ Reddick told reporters after the game.

'He just lives in the moment. He's ready for every single moment that comes, and it's a pleasure to be around him every day,' he added.

Reaves also doubled his point output in the first two games, scoring 26 in their opening loss against the Golden State Warriors, following it up with a 25-point outing in the win against the Minnesota Timberwolves. He also surpassed his previous highest point total of 45 from last season's game against the Pacers.

Starting center Deandre Ayton provided support tallying a double-double of his own with 22 points and 15 rebounds.

The King's Seal of Approval

NBA's all-time leading scorer LeBron James took to social media to sing Reaves' praises, writing on X: '50 piece nugget!!!!! That boy AR TOOOO TOUGH!!'

He also added that their team almost had back-to-back games where a player scored 50, pertaining to Doncic's 49-point outing the game before.

With his new career-best performance, the undrafted guard joined James, Shaquille O'Neal, Kobe Bryant, and Anthony Davis as the fifth player in franchise history to score at least 50 points in a game.

'I grew up watching all those guys,' Reaves said after learning about his accomplishment. 'I ain't got no words. Some of the best players to ever play the game.'

Sky is the Limit

Only in his fifth season at 27 years of age, the best is yet to come for Reaves.

He averaged 20.2 points, 5.8 assists and 4.5 rebounds per game last season, all career best numbers. With James and Doncic out, the opportunity is ripe for the taking to outperform himself and elevate his game to the next level.

Reacting to his spectacular game, Reaves recalled scoring his personal 73 points in high school. He also credited his teammates and the Lakers' coaching staff for having faith in his playing style.

'My teammates and coaching staff let me be myself. That's a big reason for why I'm able to go play the way I play,' he told the media.