The Los Angeles Lakers were trying to streak toward the 2023 NBA playoffs in late March, but with LeBron James sidelined due to a right foot injury, they were having trouble maintaining momentum.
On March 22, they hosted the Phoenix Suns, who were without their best player, Kevin Durant, but still had Devin Booker and Chris Paul. At the time, Los Angeles was only on the edge of contention for a play-in tournament spot with just 10 games left in the regular season.
But in his first game as a full-time starter, Austin Reaves gave the team a boost. He scored 25 points on 6-of-10 shooting and 12-of-13 from the free throw line, and he tallied a season-high 11 assists.
In the fourth quarter, with the outcome hanging in the balance, the undrafted guard had 10 points and four assists while masterfully drawing fouls as the Lakers pulled away for a 122-111 win.
The win pulled L.A. to one victory away from being .500, and before it knew it, it would be back in the playoffs after a one-year absence.
