“Fold or Man Up”: Austin Reaves Had Two Options Against Bucks Without LeBron James

In a rather eventful night with overtime and then a double overtime featuring the showdown between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Milwaukee Bucks, the Lakers rose to the occasion despite superstar LeBron James being sidelined. A trio led by Anthony Davis, Austin Reaves, and D’Angelo Russell stepped up, combining for a staggering 92 points! Young Reaves had a particularly impressive night, recording 2nd career triple-double!

In the post-game press conference, Austin Reaves addressed the motivation behind the fuel to his fire, “There’s 2 things you can do, you can fold or…you can man up and take the challenge.” This comes after Austin came in hot with 29 points, 14 rebounds, and 12 assists.

As frontrunner LeBron James was sidelined with a sore ankle, it made the Lakers’ road trip to Milwaukee against the stacked-up Bucks look like an unfavorable instance. The Lakers started rough, falling behind by a whopping 19 points in the first quarter. Every time they tried to claw their way back in the first three quarters, the Bucks retaliated. With 8 minutes left, things looked grim as they still trailed the Bucks. However, things took a turn!

Lakers On A Tear With Young Reaves Going Off

The Lakers, led by big man Anthony, dug deep and came back with a bang. They unleashed a 27-9 run that forced the game into overtime. The drama kept unfolding as a clutch block by Anthony Davis in the first overtime sent the game to the second OT.

Both teams were gassed by the double OT, but the Lakers emerged victorious with a final score of 128-124. Giannis Antetokounmpo, a triple-double machine for the Bucks, put up an impressive stat line of 29 points, 21 rebounds, and 11 assists. Damian Lillard chipped in with 27 points and 8 assists, but he only made 9 out of 29 shots which didn’t help the Bucks offensively. Malik Beasley bagged 21 points for Milwaukee.

The unlikely hero for the Lakers was Austin Reaves. Not only did he bag his 2nd career triple-double, but he also shot the game-winning 3-pointer with just seconds left in the second OT. Anthony Davis was a defensive rock all night and put up a double-double with 34 points and 23 rebounds in his 52 minutes on the court.

This win gives the Lakers their 4th straight victory, tying their best streak of the season. The Bucks, meanwhile, saw their two-game winning streak snapped and their record fell to 46-26. One can say LeBron’s absence offered the Lakers an opportunity to present a well-rounded team as the playoffs close in.

Read More: WATCH: Embarrassed Austin Reaves Fails To Dodge Reporter’s Pressing Question On Monstrous Play: “Nobody Had Your View”