With Luka Dončić sidelined, Austin Reaves took charge Sunday, trading words with a trash-talking Detroit Pistons fan in the first half before waving goodbye to the same spectator after burying a dagger 3-pointer in the final minute of the Los Angeles Lakers’ 121-116 win at Little Caesars Arena.
Reaves erupted for a season-high 43 points as the Lakers’ top scoring option. Fans praised how the star guard handled the moment and enjoyed seeing his edge, though he kept the details of the exchange to himself once the final buzzer sounded.
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Fans Rally Behind Austin Reaves After Viral Courtside Confrontation in Detroit
Dončić entered Sunday’s marquee matchup listed as questionable before the Lakers ruled him out hours before tipoff with lower back tightness. With the NBA’s leading scorer (40.1 points per game) sidelined, Reaves, who came in averaging 23.5 ppg, became LA’s primary offensive initiator on the road.
During a stoppage in the final seconds of the first half, Reaves and the courtside fan exchanged words face to face after a foul sent the Lakers guard tumbling toward the sideline.
It’s unclear exactly what was said, but fans quickly sided with Reaves.
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One predicted the spectator would regret his decision:
“This fan decided it was a good idea to trash talk Austin Reaves. Not smart, he’s a Luka Dončić student. What’s the over/under on this backfiring?”
Another fan backed Reaves without hesitation, posting, “Mad props to Austin Reaves, this is the way to respond to fans pestering you. Reaves went at the fan, and the fan got quiet.”
One fan applauded the feistiness, writing, “That’s the sicko I remember.”
Meanwhile, Lakers reporter Ryan Ward wanted the full story behind the back-and-forth:
“Someone interview this guy or that girl in the background to figure out what was said here lol.”
The Pistons never led but kept fighting after falling into an early 26-point hole, making the contest competitive behind Daniss Jenkins’ team-high 31 points off the bench.
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Reaves continually answered, following up his 19-point first half with another 13 in the third quarter.
One fan suspected the courtside confrontation had him feeling extra motivated:
“I’m tellin you, this fan got him turnt up.”
Detroit was still within reach in the final minute, trailing 109-104 when Reaves drained an off-balance dagger 3-pointer with 44.5 seconds remaining to cap off a night of impressive shot-making.
Underdog NBA noted that Reaves “made sure to wave goodbye to the fan he had words with earlier in the game.”
The undrafted guard then helped close it out from the charity stripe, finishing 14-for-27 overall (51.9%), 4-for-6 from deep (66.7%), and 11-for-11 at the free-throw line (100%) with 5 rebounds and 4 assists in 37 minutes.
When a reporter brought up his viral fan interaction after the game, Reaves played coy, quipping, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
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The victory lifted the Lakers to 9-2, first in the Western Conference and level with the Philadelphia 76ers for the NBA’s best record. It also extended their winning streak to five games entering Monday’s road clash against the Atlanta Hawks (7-4) on the second night of a back-to-back.
This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: Sports.yahoo.com
