Austin Reaves thought his night was over when he left the floor late in the Los Angeles Lakers' game against the Toronto Raptors. He even handed his signature headband to a fan behind the bench.
However, the Lakers' reserves had other plans, forcing the guard to retrieve it before the final buzzer.
Los Angeles held a 125-109 lead with 1:43 remaining when JJ Redick emptied the bench. Reaves gave away his headband, expecting to watch the closing minutes from the sidelines. But Toronto quickly made the decision look costly.
REAVES GOT HIS HEADBAND BACK! The Los Angeles Lakers were up 15 points on Toronto with 2:28 left, & Austin Reaves gave his headband to a fan when he checked out of the game… thinking it was over 😳
1 minute & 45 seconds later, the Lakers allowed the Raptors to cut the lead to… pic.twitter.com/ISNCIXsqZy
— Courtside Buzz (@CourtsideBuzzX) November 2, 2026
The Raptors' reserves attacked the Lakers' second unit and cut the deficit to single digits in less than 20 seconds. Jamison Battle connected on consecutive 3-pointers, while turnovers from Quentin Grimes and Bronny James gave Toronto more opportunities.
Jaden Bradley then converted an and-one layup to bring the visitors within six. With 44 seconds left, Redick called a timeout and brought his regular rotation players back into the game. Reaves had to ask the fan for his headband before returning alongside Luka Doncic and Walker Kessler.
Fortunately, the fan handed it back without any apparent issue. The Lakers eventually closed out a 131-125 win, improving to 5-2.
Redick took responsibility for the late scare after the game and admitted he would handle the situation differently next time.
“I won't make that mistake again. I'll leave the guys in. You got to play to the final buzzer,” the Lakers coach said.
The ending nearly overshadowed another outstanding performance from Doncic. The Slovenian finished with 45 points, 15 rebounds, six assists, and five steals, while making eight 3-pointers.
For Reaves, the headband has become part of his identity since he first started wearing it during the 2024-25 season. What was supposed to be a quiet finish against Toronto turned into an unexpected trip to the stands to get it back.