LeBron James reacts to Austin Reeves’ triumphant return from injury after a 19-game absence

Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves came through in his first appearance after a 19-game absence without downtime. After missing more than a month with a calf strain, Reaves scored 15 points on 3-for-9 shooting with four rebounds and two steals in a 125-109 win over the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday.

Despite Reaves only playing 20 minutes off the bench while on the restriction, LeBron James he felt the 27-year-old made an immediate impact.

“It was just a boost for all of us, especially at the end of the trip, to get a guy like that back,” James said. “Obviously his rhythm is a little bit off, but s**t, he still made an impact, and I’m just happy he’s back.

Reaves struggled to find his touch from three, converting just 1 of 5 attempts. However, he drew fouls with ease, converting 8 of 10 attempts from the charity stripe.

“I thought he moved really well and looked like Austin,” JJ Redick he said postgame. “He had three or four really good looks in the first half that didn’t go away, but he attacked the basket well and got to the free throw line.

Reaves appeared on his way to his first All-Star appearance before his injury.

Lakers’ Austin Reaves returns from extended layoff during win over Nets

The All-Star guard is averaging 26.6 points, 5.2 rebounds and 6.3 assists on .507/.365/.873 shooting in 23 appearances to start the season. His calf strain provided an unexpected key to his and the Lakers’ season.

“Sitting on the bench sucks. I think all I did for a month and a half was yell at the refs. It’s not fun. It’s better to yell at them on the field,” Reaves said. “I wanted to make sure I was 100 percent. I really wanted to play the other night against the Knicks. I wish I could have played there. I wish I could have gone out there and helped the team, but I just didn’t feel good and I woke up this morning and I felt really good, I gave it a go before the game and had fun… It’s nice to get back out there and run around, I feel the love.”

The Lakers were 19-10 and fourth in the Western Conference at the time of Reaves’ injury. They posted a 10-9 record during his absencedropping them into a tie with the Phoenix Suns for sixth place.

Los Angeles ranked 11th in offense21st in defense and 17th in net rating (-0.3) during that span. They’re hoping Reaves’ return will be the spark that propels them back toward the top half of the Western playoffs.

“We’ve had two games all season with full health,” Redick said before the game. “Hopefully with Austin back, we can rest here and figure out what lineups work best. … We missed (Austin) in every aspect. Both as a player on the ball, as a player off the ball, as a connector, leadership on the court, competitive spirit, competitive spirit on the defensive end. He’s an All-Star level player, of course, he’s a player you don’t fit.”