Austin Reaves reveals final play against Warriors was for LeBron James

Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves hit a game-winning layup on Christmas Day to give the Lakers a two-point win over Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors.

Reaves’ final bucket came after Curry tied the game with a 3-point shot moments before, and the Lakers guard revealed that the final play was actually supposed to be for superstar LeBron James.

“Man, I’ma be honest with y’all, that last play was not for me,” Reaves said. “It was for ‘Bron. But I got the opportunity to go win us a game, and that’s what ended up happening. That’s a big win for the team, huge win. It’s Christmas Day. I remember growing up watching Christmas Day games with my family. I know my family’s back home, sitting around, watching the games, opening presents. So, this is a big one for me – for us as a team. But – I’ll remember this one for a long time.”

With the win, the Lakers improved to 17-13 in the regular season. They currently hold the No. 6 seed in the Western Conference and have won five of their last 10 games.

Reaves was terrific on Christmas Day, scoring 26 points while registering a triple-double (he also had 10 rebounds and 10 assists). The former undrafted free agent shot 8-for-20 from the field, 4-for-10 from 3 and 6-for-6 from the free-throw line in the win.

While James was supposed to be the player to take the final shot for Los Angeles, Reaves’ improvisation proved to be the right move on Wednesday.

James also played well for the Lakers, who lost Anthony Davis in the game due to an injury. The four-time champion finished the win over Golden State with 31 points, four rebounds and 10 assists. He shot an impressive 12-for-22 from the field and 2-for-4 from beyond the arc.

Reaves, 26, has continued his ascent to stardom with the Lakers in the 2024-25 season. The 26-year-old is averaging a career-high 17.4 points per game while shooting 43.8 percent from the field and 35.5 percent from 3.

In addition, Reaves is averaging 4.1 rebounds, 5.1 assists and a career-high 1.1 steals per game in the 2024-25 season. It’s clear that Lakers head coach J.J. Redick trusts Reaves, as he’s playing the guard 34.0 minutes per game.

The Lakers will look to build on the momentum of Wednesday’s win when they play on Saturday, Dec. 28 against the Sacramento Kings.