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Los Angeles Lakers star Austin Reaves cobbled together another magical moment to begin the 2025-26 season on Wednesday night – this time at the expense of the Minnesota Timberwolves.
With just over 6 seconds left in the game, Reaves received the inbound pass near half court. He dribbled off a pick, crossed over and drove into the lane. He got to the foul line and put up a floater. The ball swished through the net at the buzzer.
Los Angeles secured the 116-115 win as Reaves’ Lakers teammates mobbed him. He finished with 28 points and 16 assists.
Reaves admitted after the game he “probably blacked out a bit” as he watched the ball go through the net and the jubilation he felt afterward.
“What tier he is, I don’t know. I don’t care about that, but I think last year he established himself as a bad dude,” Lakers head coach J.J. Redick said. “This is who he is.”
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It’s a huge win for the injury-riddled Lakers as they bet big on Reaves, who seemingly has made his mark in the NBA out of nowhere. He was an undrafted free agent who joined the Lakers in 2021. He signed a four-year contract before the 2023-24 season and is earning nearly $14 million this season.
But the team has relied on him a ton early this season as they’ve been without LeBron James and now Luka Doncic.
Reaves scored 51 points in a win over the Sacramento Kings and had 41 points in a loss against the Portland Trail Blazers. The team moved to 3-2 with the buzzer-beater against Minnesota.
“The big thing is he’s established himself as the leader,” Redick said. “That’s big time. That’s what we need from him.”
Reaves reflected on just how big the win was, especially coming off of a playoff series loss last season when he had an opportunity to extend the matchup.
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“To have that opportunity for a big road win, especially with a lot of people out, is special,” he said. “We kept hooping, and they kept encouraging me to go do what I do.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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