Austin Reaves drops a hilarious NSFV game against the Pelicans for 31 points

There’s no better way for a struggling star to get it going than in a game against a bad team. This is exactly it Austin Reaves sometime to get back on track. On Friday night, Reaves and the Los Angeles Lakers faced the struggling New Orleans Pelicans in NBA Cup action and came out on top, 118-104 — with Reaves scoring a game-high 31 points on 9-16 shooting from the field.

This game was such a far cry from Reaves’ previous effort. He He wasn’t very good against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday, as he scored just 13 points on 4-12 shooting in an outing the entire team forgot about. He’s been slowed by a groin strain, and it looks like he’s putting that completely in the rearview mirror with the way he put the Pelicans’ defense through the ringer on Friday.

But at the very least, Reeves’ humor has remained a constant through injuries and poor performances. On Friday, in an interview after the game, he talked about himself, expressing in some colorful language some dissatisfaction with his performance (all in jest, of course).

“(I was) crappy,” Reaves said in passing when asked about his performance, via ESPN’s Dave McMenamin .

“Pretty good day at the office.” Austin Reaves on Deandre Ayton’s 20-point, 16-rebound night. And as for his own 31-point, 7-assist effort? “S—-you.” pic.twitter.com/NKmVvuKBdK

— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) November 15, 2025

No one is harder on themselves than a professional athlete, and Reaves knows how high the standards in the NBA are for someone to succeed. Of course, there’s a balance to be struck between being too hard on yourself and knowing that they’re doing just fine. Reaves, of course, knows that, which is why he’s blossomed into one of the best guards in the association.

The Lakers will be better when LeBron James returns

There was cause for concern for the Lakers LeBron James is out to start the season. James remains a two-way force, and is still one of the NBA’s best rim protectors. His absence leaves a void defensively and rebounding. This also leaves the Lakers more reliant on the perimeter game.

James, however, is getting stronger in the G-League and is getting closer to his season debut. And at 9-4, LA is off to a pretty good start to the year.