The Los Angeles Lakers snapped a three-game skid with a 129-101 victory over the Golden State Warriors on Saturday night at Chase Center, and Austin Reaves pointed to a simple formula behind the response.
“Winning’s fun, winning cures a lot of issues. So, anytime you can get a win is good,” Reaves said postgame, referencing the frustration that followed the previous loss in Phoenix.
The guard finished with 18 points on 7-of-11 shooting as Los Angeles improved to 35-24, staying sixth in the Western Conference standings. The visitors shot 53% from the field and 19-of-41 from three, building a 33-16 lead after the first quarter.
“I just think playing the right way,” Reaves said when asked about the offensive rhythm. “When we do it out the gate, I think it sets the tone for the rest of the game. And, you know, just getting good looks. You know, we have too many weapons offensively to to not get good looks.”
The Lakers recorded 29 assists and consistently generated catch-and-shoot opportunities. Reaves emphasized that early shot quality impacts the rest of the game.
“Obviously, there’s going to be times where, you know, Luka gets on a heater, Bron gets on a heater,” he said. “And you know, they’re tough shot makers. So, you know, you obviously live with those and you believe that every time they shoot the ball, it’s going in, but once you, you know, set a rhythm early of getting good looks, you know, think we could, you know, do special things.”
Luka Doncic led the way with 26 points and eight assists, while LeBron James added 22 points and nine assists on 7-of-13 shooting. The four-time MVP hit four three-pointers as Los Angeles stretched the floor against a Golden State team that went 12-of-44 from beyond the arc.
At one point, the Lakers were shooting 55% from three. Reaves credited both shot-making and ball movement.
“Yeah, like Bron said, you know, when you make shots, you say everybody’s going to go. The ball movement is great because of assist numbers,” he said. “But, yeah, I mean, I think there’s a sense of like rhythm and feel and comfort. Once you see, you know, some shots going in from everybody, everybody’s, you know, the feel is different. So, we need to continue to, you know, share the ball.”
When asked whether the mindset shift discussed by James and head coach JJ Redick was addressed directly, Reaves kept it direct.
“I don’t know. Losing sucks. So, you don’t want to lose. I think the best way to combat losing is playing the game the right way. I’m like, he said he didn’t give anything.”
The Lakers will host Sacramento on Sunday to complete a back-to-back, while Golden State prepares to face the Clippers on Monday.
