It may’t be straightforward to seek out many positives when two teammates, who’re additionally among the many finest basketball gamers on the earth, are sidelined heading right into a matchup with arguably the perfect staff within the NBA. However for the Los Angeles Lakers and Austin Reaves, they did simply that, utilizing their highway sport towards the league-leading Boston Celtics as a possibility to showcase what the different gamers can do.
The Lakers have been with out each LeBron James (ankle) and Anthony Davis (Achilles tendon, hip spasms) as they traveled to TD Backyard to face the Celtics, who have been 22-2 at residence heading into Thursday. However behind Austin Reaves’ stellar 32-point efficiency, through which he knocked down 7-of-10 makes an attempt from three-point vary, the Lakers surprised a closely favored Celtics staff 114-105.
After the sport, Reaves spoke in regards to the staff’s mindset forward of arguably the hardest matchup of the season with out their two stars, citing the chance for the group to “present the world” what they may do.
“Any time you do not have these two, it may must be a staff effort. You are going to have to return collectively collectively and simply grind,” Reaves mentioned, per Spectrum SportsNet. “We’re all gifted gamers, and this is a chance to indicate the world what you are able to do.”