Austin Reaves highlights LA Lakers' strong performance in LeBron James' rest period
LA Lakers guard Austin Reaves shared his thoughts on the team's bench contribution in Wednesday's 129-110 win against the Orlando Magic at Amway Center.
"Everybody pitched in," Reaves told Spectrum SportsNet's Mike Trudell
"Troy [Brown Jr.] played really well. I think he was 6-7 from the field, 3-4 from three? I don't really know. He played really well. I'm sure his plus-minus(plus-15) was high. When Bron comes out to take a breather — he's been playing for 20 years — We've got to give him the opportunity to take a seat — We can't step back when he's out of the game. We've got to figure out how to keep going forward."
"Everybody stepped up." Austin Reaves on the #Lakers' performance in the stretches where LeBron was on the bench. https://t.co/BEYRCkZDOm
On Tuesday night, the Purple and Gold defeated the Orlando Magic in a much-needed victory. Following four straight losses, the team may have finally stopped the bleeding.
In many ways, the 129-110 victory is significant. While LeBron James remains an important part of the team's offensive plans, the Lakers had the superstar practically carrying the offense on his own.
Reaves, who was plus-12 with eight points, five assists, and three rebounds in 26 minutes off the bench, highlighted the rebounding and defensive effort that got them over the line as well. With the whole team finding ways to contribute, the Lakers displayed uncharacteristic hustle and grit. Needless to say, this factored into them winning the game.
While James' individual brilliance was impressive, the Lakers were not winning many games. The Los Angeles were 3-4 during a seven-game stretch in which LeBron scored at least 30 points in each game.
While James notched an impressive 28 points in Tuesday's game as well, the Purple and Gold saw more players step up to the plate. This helped carry them past the hurdle that prevented them from notching a win.
While LeBron led the offensive charge, he was supported by the likes of Russell Westbrook(15 points, 13 rebounds, and 13 assists off the bench) and Thomas Bryant(21 points, two rebounds, and two assists as a starter). With consistent contributions across the board, the Lakers may have found their template to win without Anthony Davis on the floor.
The LA Lakers notch a much-needed win on the road
The LA Lakers have been a team in disarray yet again. While they had just appeared to have found some semblance of rhythm, the team was hit by a major blow with Anthony Davis suffering an injury.
With Davis out of the rotation, the Purple and Gold fell back on old patterns where LeBron James carried the team. However, this yielded very limited success.
Read: Erik Spoelstra lauds LeBron James’ capabilities playing at 38 years old: “He’s the Tom Brady of the NBA”
In this regard, the win in Orlando saw a diversion from that template. While LeBron remained the leading scorer, the team wasn't entirely dependent upon him to score.
While LeBron was on the bench, they were able to stop the bleeding and break away with him on the floor. The team is finally supporting his efforts in the right way, finding ways to contribute even when the superstar is off the court.
Whether this performance can be repeated over and over again is up for speculation. However, the Purple and Gold certainly looked like a competitive unit on Tuesday night.
Read: Skip Bayless denies Lakers wasting LeBron James’ greatness: “They’re recipient of all the angst & agony of LakerNation”