LeBron James goes NSFV, Luka Doncic loses his mind over Austin Reeves game winner

Wednesday night marked Luka DončićThird consecutive absence for Los Angeles Lakers while continuing to deal with a finger and leg injury. LeBron James has been out all season so far and is reportedly weeks away from returning. But Austin Reeves sure thinks he’s got this. Reaves, who has been on a tear lately, added another feather to his cap – a game-winner against the Minnesota Timberwolves to avoid what would have been a catastrophic collapse and secure a 116-115 victory.

Reaves is coming off games with 51 and 41 points, respectively, but didn’t shoot the ball well against the Timberwolves’ defense. Regardless, he made the shot when it mattered most — floating over Donte DiVincenzo’s outstretched hands right at the buzzer.

And in doing so, the Lakers’ rising star rewarded his purple and gold colleagues – with James goes NSFW with his reaction to Reaves’ game-winner and Doncic dropping one emoji express what you think 27-year-old guard.

“A-MUTHAF**KIN-R!!!!!!!!!!!!!” James wrote on his official account on X (formerly Twitter).

“🐐”, Doncic added.

Those two reactions are the best encapsulations of how well Reaves is playing right now. Any other team would fall apart if they were missing players of James’ and Doncic’s caliber at the same time. But Reeves is an incredible player in his own right and is showing just how capable he is of running the show.

Although Reaves had a rough time shooting the basketball Wednesday, going just 9-24 from the field and 3-11 from beyond the arc, he did so much for the Lakers on offense by dropping 16 dimes — tying a career high.

The the world is Reaves’ oyster at this point, as James and Doncic’s ability to carry undermanned teams seems to have worked quite well for him.

Austin Reaves, Lakers avoid disaster against Timberwolves

The Lakers led the Timberwolves by as many as 20 points, which was a great feat for this poor team on the road. But the Timberwolves chipped away at that lead until they took the lead with just seconds left in the game, and Julius Randle’s layup put them up by one, 115-114.

But Reaves, thanks to the excellent play of the Lakers, was able to carry them over the finish line as the winner. They got Rudy Gobert to cover a screen and spin, which freed up the paint for Reaves’ game-winner.