LeBron James labels Austin Reaves “tough” after a 51-point masterclass

LeBron James reacted to Austin Reaves‘ incredible performance after Los Angeles The Lakers beat the Sacramento Kings 127-120 on Sunday night.

In 39 minutes of action, Reaves filled the stat line in historic fashion. He finished with 51 points, 11 rebounds, nine assists and two steals. He shot 12 of 22 from the field, including 6 of 10 from beyond the arc and 21 of 22 from the free throw line.

The young guard entered the history of the franchise with his effortsaccording to NBA insider Brett Siegel. He became the 12th player in franchise history to score 50 or more points in a game and the eighth player in team history to make 20 or more free throws in a game.

James reacted to the performance of his star teammate after the game on social media. He praised Reaves for his excellent play against Sacramento, giving him a clear label in the process.

“50 pieces 🐔 nugget!!!!! That boy is TOO COOL!!” James wrote.

As Austin Reaves, the Lakers played against the Kings

Austin Reaves has accepted responsibility for the top scoring option with Luka Doncic and LeBron James on the sidelines. Thanks to his efforts, the Lakers improved to 2-1 after knocking off the Kings.

The match went down to the wire. Los Angeles held a 36-27 lead after the first quarter before Sacramento stormed back 35-26 in the second period to keep the game close at halftime. Both sides refused to create distance from each other, but Reaves’ performance in the fourth quarter was needed to make the clutch plays and give the Lakers a road win.

Free throws and rebounds played key roles in an exciting showdown between the two division rivals. The Lakers succeeded in both categories, making 41 of 46 free throws with 47 rebounds. It wasn’t the same for the Kings, who converted 12 of 18 shots at the line with 40 rebounds.

Five players scored in double figures for Los Angeles, including Reaves. Deandre Ayton had his best performance yet as a Laker, posting 22 points, 15 rebounds, two assists, one steal and a block. He shot 10-of-17 overall and 2-of-4 from the charity stripe. Rui Hachimura followed with 18 points and three rebounds, Marcus Smart had 11 points and five assists, while Jake LaRavia had 11 points and six rebounds.

The Lakers will look forward to their next match, staying on the road. They face the Minnesota Timberwolves on October 27th at 10:30pm ET.