There’s never a quiet night in Lakerland, and Monday was no exception. Following a 119-110 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder at Crypto.com Arena, Austin Reaves didn’t duck the spotlight. Instead, he stood in it, owning up to a second half that didn’t meet his own standards.
“They made more plays than us,” Reaves said postgame. “I played pretty bad in the second half. I got to be better and yeah, that’s really it.”
That kind of accountability is what you want to hear from a guy trying to reestablish his rhythm after missing 19 games with a left calf strain. Reaves logged 29 minutes - his most since returning - and finished with 16 points and seven assists. But the second half told a different story, as Oklahoma City’s defense clamped down and the Lakers’ offense sputtered into isolation-heavy, low-efficiency possessions.
One turning point came late in the third quarter. Reaves, frustrated after not getting a foul call on a drive, voiced his displeasure to official Eric Dalen and was hit with a technical - his first of the season. That moment lingered.
“I think I just got frustrated when I didn’t get the foul call, got the tech, let that kind of get to me a little bit,” Reaves admitted. “I just didn’t know how all three of them could miss that, so I was just a little frustrated after that and couldn’t get back in the flow.”
It’s a revealing quote - not just about the missed call, but about the mental side of the game. Reaves knows he let it affect him, and in a tight contest against a young, hungry Thunder squad, those moments matter.
Oklahoma City’s perimeter defense was relentless all night. With Alex Caruso, Cason Wallace, and Luguentz Dort leading the charge, the Thunder dictated the pace and forced the Lakers into uncomfortable spots.
The result? Just 10-of-31 from beyond the arc for L.A., and a lot of tough shots late in the clock.
Head coach JJ Redick wasn’t pointing fingers at the officiating, either. He focused on execution - or the lack of it - down the stretch. And he specifically mentioned Reaves, who had some clean looks in the fourth that just didn’t fall.
“There were a couple of tough threes that he took,” Redick said. “He had a couple angles on his drives and didn’t finish.
Had a couple middys where he created separation and didn’t hit. Jalen Williams down the stretch did the same thing against us, and he made his.”
Reaves shot 6-of-14 from the field and just 1-of-5 from deep, including an 0-for-4 third quarter that coincided with the Thunder’s surge. Still working under a minutes restriction, he acknowledged that Oklahoma City’s physicality knocked him off rhythm - but he didn’t use it as an excuse.
The missed shots weren’t all on Reaves, either. Jake LaRavia, who had a strong third quarter with 11 points, missed three open looks late that could’ve swung the game. Redick pointed to those as pivotal moments that tilted the balance.
The Lakers are hoping that some recent roster tweaks - including the addition of Luke Kennard - can help provide more spacing and stability in late-game situations. But for now, this one stings. Not just because of the loss, but because it was there for the taking.
Reaves knows it. Redick knows it. And if the Lakers want to stay in the playoff hunt, they’ll need to turn these learning moments into wins - fast.