WhenAustin Reavesplayed poorly in Game 1 of the Lakers’ second-round playoff series against the Thunder, he fell under crushing pressure.
Despite playing All-Star-caliber basketball for much of the season, new narratives were churning out of journalists’ pens and pundits’ mouths threatening to redefine him.
He can’t meet the moment. He falls apart during the playoffs. He doesn’t deserve a maximum contract extension.
The playoffs are powerful. Being a Laker makes the spotlight even more intense. Playing alongside LeBron James? Well, that just brings everything to a feverish pitch.
Reaves’ eight-point performance in Game 1 on 3-for-16 shooting, 0-for-5 from deep, hung over his head like a dark cloud.
All eyes were on him heading into Game 2.
Many players spiral under those circumstances. They get into their own heads. Basketball might appear to be a physical game, but it’s a mental challenge more than anything, especially for shooters.
With the type of “delusional confidence” he has talked about having all season. Against the league’s top defense, he had a playoff career-high 31 points on 10-for-16 shooting, 3-for-6 from beyond the arc in the Lakers’ 125-107 loss.
He drove past Cason Wallace’s swarming hands and quick-moving feet, which have thrown his game off so many times this season. He fearlessly entered Chet Holmgren’s and Isaiah Hartenstein’s turf, dancing around the 7-footers’ menacing arm spans.
Reaves responded with the type of performance that instantly quiets the noise.
Source: California Post – Breaking California News, Photos & Videos
