Lakers’ JJ Redick marvels at ‘remarkable’ Austin Reaves explosion fresh off injury

Austin Reaves hasn’t lost a step. If anything, he might have found a fifth one while he was away. In just his second game back from a grueling five-and-a-half-week absence due to a calf injury, the Los Angeles Lakers guard put on a masterclass Thursday night.

Reaves torched the Philadelphia 76ers for 35 points in just 25 minutes, leading the Lakers to a gritty 119-115 victory at Crypto.com Arena. The performance left Lakers head coach JJ Redick searching for superlatives.

“It’s remarkable what he was able to do tonight in his second game back,” Redick told Lakers reporter Mike Trudell. While Reaves was lethal from deep, knocking down five triples, Redick pointed to his aggressive and explosive drives as the catalyst for the second-half comeback.

Coming off the bench on a strict minutes restriction, Reaves looked anything but limited. He shot a blistering 12-of-17 from the field, sparking a 21-6 fourth-quarter run that turned the tide. His back-to-back 3-pointers to open the final frame gave Los Angeles its first lead of the night, a lead they wouldn’t relinquish despite a late scare from the Sixers.

The Lakers needed every bit of Reaves’ production after superstar Luka Doncic exited the game in the first half with left leg soreness. With Doncic sidelined, LeBron James stepped up with 17 points and 10 assists, while Rui Hachimura delivered a clutch dunk in the closing seconds to seal the deal.

On the other side, Joel Embiid matched Reaves with 35 points of his own, and Tyrese Maxey chipped in 26 points and 13 assists. However, the Sixers couldn’t survive the Reaves-led onslaught after blowing a 14-point lead.

For a Lakers squad that has dealt with a rotating door of injuries all season, seeing Reaves play with this much pop is a massive sigh of relief. If this is what Hillbilly Kobe looks like on a minutes restriction, the rest of the Western Conference should probably start taking notes.

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