Austin Reaves had to correct Ziaire Williams after the Lakers teammate approached him celebrating Luka Doncic’s 53-point performance against Portland.
Williams walked up behind Reaves during a postgame interview following Los Angeles’ 124-118 win over the Trail Blazers on Friday. He put his hands on Reaves’ shoulders and shouted, “Fifty ball!”
The problem was that Williams had mistaken Reaves for Doncic, who had just delivered his 11th career 50-point game. Reaves shouted to Williams: “I’m the wrong white person!”
Williams later confirmed in the locker room that he had genuinely confused the two Lakers teammates. Doncic also heard about the incident and joked that the mix-up was “very disrespectful.”
The moment came after another dominant night from Doncic, who finished with 53 points, five rebounds and five assists. He shot 17-for-33 from the field and made five three-pointers in 38 minutes.
Reaves, meanwhile, contributed 25 points on 8-for-22 shooting, including eight made free throws. He also recorded three rebounds, two assists and four steals in the Lakers’ fourth consecutive victory.
Doncic took over in the third quarter, scoring 20 points as Los Angeles erased Portland’s advantage. The Lakers outscored the Trail Blazers 34-15 in the period and carried a 17-point lead into the fourth.
Portland fought back and cut the deficit to four, but Doncic delivered a crucial jumper with 28 seconds remaining. He and Reaves combined for the Lakers’ final 10 points to secure the victory.
The Slovenian also extended his remarkable scoring run, recording his sixth 40-point performance in seven games. He has scored at least 35 points, grabbed five rebounds, dished out five assists and made five three-pointers in seven consecutive games.
The win improved the Lakers to 8-2 and gave them a measure of revenge after their 136-129 home loss to Portland on October 27. Los Angeles will visit the Detroit Pistons on Sunday, while Portland hosts the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday.
