Austin Reaves

New starting lineup? Perhaps, but the Lakers coach wasn't revealing anything. What You Need To Know. Austin Reaves joined the Lakers' starters at Crypto.com ...

The Thunder (36-36) sit half a game ahead of the Lakers and the season series is tied at 1-1. The Lakers were awarded a lot more free throws than the Suns, who seemed content to shoot mid-range jumpers and not attack the basket. D’Angelo Russell posted 26 points and six assists, seemingly counteracting any Phoenix rush with a three-pointer or floater in the lane. A lot of guys played well and stepped up,” Davis said. Had the Lakers lost, they would have tumbled to 12th. “You like the little trick up the sleeve?” Ham asked reporters after the game.

Lakers coach Darvin Ham claimed before the Suns game he had "something up his sleeve." That something, Reaves, continued his hot play.

[New Orleans](https://theathletic.com/nba/team/pelicans/). 6 [Golden State Warriors](https://theathletic.com/nba/team/warriors/). 11 [Utah Jazz](https://theathletic.com/nba/team/jazz/) and just 1.5 games behind the No. “It’s gonna be hectic but this is why you play the game,” Reaves said. The [Lakers](https://theathletic.com/nba/team/lakers/) won seven of their next nine games, potentially saving their season. “I just try to get the spots that I like to on the court, and just read how the defender is playing,” Reaves said. We want to be the first team to the bonus each quarter. [a disparity Suns coach Monty Williams pointed out in his postgame news conference](https://twitter.com/DuaneRankin/status/1638764889056612353). So Austin comes in and I think scores 10 in the first quarter to help us get going, and it was good for us.” “Came off the bench and hit two big threes for us and competed. Beasley, who played 19 minutes on Wednesday, made two 3s in the second quarter to help the Lakers take a seven-point lead into intermission. After struggling for several games with Beasley at shooting guard, the Lakers’ starting unit was their best lineup, posting a team-best plus-11 in 18 minutes together Wednesday.

Austin Reaves believes that the Lakers are just getting the FTAs they deserve after attacking the hoop with such aggression vs. the Suns.

Reaves specifically pointed out that he has [taken it upon himself](https://clutchpoints.com/lakers-news-austin-reaves-sounds-off-on-filling-the-lebron-james-void) to be more aggressive with LeBron James out. A guard who excelled in moving off the ball, pulling off hustle plays on the regular, and popping off for the occasional double-digit scoring game, Reaves has become an [efficient volume scoring weapon](https://clutchpoints.com/lakers-news-austin-reaves-makes-mark-on-la-history-with-record-not-seen-in-last-57-years) for the Lakers amid LeBron James’ foot injury. In particular, the Lakers have a +387 differential on free-throw attempts for the season, more than double the second-ranked Miami Heat.

Austin Reaves provided a jolt that helped the Lakers beat the Suns on Wednesday night and move back into the West's No. 10 spot.

"It was good for us, obviously, getting out to a fast start and not getting behind 10, 12 like we usually do," Davis said of the lineup change. ... Hopefully Friday we come out with the same type of juice and energy that we had tonight." You want high-pressure moments, and you really want to play under the lights." The season series is 1-1, so the tiebreaker is up for grabs, beyond the crucial game outcome. "We'd like to be first in the league. used a 10-2 run over the next two minutes to take control for good. (36-37) hosts the West's No. 11 Utah Jazz and just a game and a half behind the No. Came off the bench and hit two big 3s for us and competed. "Obviously, we don't want to be in this position," Reaves said. Reaves responded with a career-best 11 assists against the Suns, to go with 25 points, and the Lakers beat the Western Conference's No. The Lakers are now a half-game up on the No.

Los Angeles Lakers highlights of Anthony Davis, D'Angelo Russell and Austin Reaves leading a victory over the Phoenix Suns.

It’s the best way to watch player interviews, exclusive coverage from events, participate in live shows, and more! At 36-37, the Lakers are currently tied for ninth in the Western Conference with nine games to play. Some other Lakers played well on the night, including Jarred Vanderbilt and Dennis Schroder.