The Lakers stunned the Grizzlies on Sunday after stealing Game 1 of their first-round series with a 128–112 win in Memphis. But, while L.A. turned plenty of heads with the dominant victory, the biggest story coming out of the matchup revolved around the stellar play of guard Austin Reaves.
After scoring nine points through the first three quarters, Reaves erupted for 14 points in the fourth quarter to help the Lakers run away with the game. The second-year guard made big plays as a ball-handler and scorer en route to finishing the game with 23 points, four assists and three rebounds, but the crowning moment of his afternoon came in the midst of his own personal show-stealing run.
With the Lakers up 111–109 with 3:29 to play, Reaves rattled off nine-straight points to boost the lead, with the last two points coming after he hung in the air for a tough fadeaway jumper in the lane. Moments after making the crucial shot, Reaves let the world know how he felt about his monster game and ran down the floor yelling “I’m him” toward the Lakers bench.
