Austin Reaves erupted for a career-high 51 points in the Los Angeles Lakers’ 127-120 victory over the Sacramento Kings on Sunday night. But Kings star DeMar DeRozan was left far from impressed over how many free throws the Lakers guard attempted on the night.
Addressing the media after the loss, DeRozan, a six-time NBA All-Star who recorded 21 points and six rebounds in the Kings’ loss, scoffed when he saw just how many free throw attempts Reaves took on the night.
“22 free throws for him,” DeRozan said in disbelief. “Free throws… free throws.”
DeRozan, who has earned over $305 million in his 17-year NBA career, then stormed out of his press conference. Prior to that explosive ending, the 36-year-old veteran called out the discrepancy in officiating between the two teams, especially over free throws awarded. The Lakers went to the line 46 times, while Sacramento were only awarded 18, meaning that the Lakers guard had four more tripsthan the entire Kings contingent.
“It’s crazy. 46 free throws to 18? And we had to beg for most of those,” DeRozan said. “It’s deflating. Especially when we’re going out there trying to play hard, trying to compete.
“It seemed like we’re getting called for fouls, but on the other end when we try to be aggressive, nothing goes our way. It’s kind of deflating at times, especially when you’re trying to get it going… 46 free throws is crazy. It’s crazy.”
The Lakers wound up shooting 41-of-46 from the line for 89.1 percent, with Reaves scoring a near-perfect 21-of-22 from his trips — the sixth most by an NBA player in the last three seasons. The fifth-year guard finished the contest with a career-high 51 points shooting at a 54.5 percent clip and 60 percent from deep, along with 11 rebounds, nine assists and two steals as he led the Lakers with a plus-22 plus-minus.
Reaves, an undrafted free agent in 2021, became the first player in league history to record 50-plus points, eight-plus rebounds, eight-plus assists and shoot an 80-plus true shooting percentage in a single game, and just the third undrafted player ever to record a 50-point game.
But ‘AR15’ also joined an elite club, becoming only the fifth member of the Purple and Gold to drop a 50-piece in the 21st century, joining the late Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal, LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Speaking on this feat after the game, Reaves said: “I don’t deserve all that. I grew up watching all of those guys and I ain’t got no words.”
On the team’s performance as a whole, Reaves said: “It means a lot. We play basketball for those moments, team success, and these guys. We hang out 90 percent of the time together…
“These people literally become family and I’d go to war for them any day. So for them to treat me like that, it’s special.
“We’re down Luka [Doncic], LeBron, Jaxson [Hayes] as well and it could have been very easy for us to come in here and lay down, but that’s not what the coaching staff has instilled in us. It was special.”
Los Angeles Lakers in injury hell
The Lakers have been without James since the beginning of the season due to dealing with sciatica, with him having no timetable to return. Then, head coach JJ Redick was dealt another huge blow when it was announced that the new-look Luka Doncic would be sidelined for at least a week with both a left finger sprain and lower left leg contusion.
The Slovenian had made franchise history by becoming the first Lakers player to have back-to-back 40-point games to start the 2025-26 NBA season, and only the fourth player in NBA history – joining an esteemed group of Davis, Michael Jordan and Wilt Chamberlain. Having dropped 49 points in the Lakers’ 128-110 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday, Doncic missed a free throw late on – and three in total going 16-of-19 from the line – that would have seen him eclipse the 50-point mark himself.
After the game, Reaves trolled his teammate under his Instagram post, commenting: “Make a free throw,” alongside a face palm emoji. Dončić replied: “Shut up.” After the Lakers’ win over the Kings, Reaves revealed a conversation he had had with Doncic earlier on in the day, with the five-time All-Star having huge expectations of his teammate in his own absence.
“I texted him this morning,” Reaves said. “We had a funny exchange. He’s a [Dallas] Cowboys fan and I think Dak [Prescott] threw a pick or something so I texted him.
“Our whole relationship is just me and him talking trash back-and-forth, and towards the end of our conversation, he said ‘I need 60 [points] tonight’ and I was like ‘hahaha’ and that was the end of the conversation.”
With the Lakers 2-1 to start the season, it appears to be all good vibes in La La Land.
