Austin Reaves had a parting gesture for a courtside fan after delivering one of the biggest shots in the Los Angeles Lakers’ win over the Detroit Pistons on Sunday.
After Reaves hit a 3-pointer to give Los Angeles a 112-104 lead with 46 seconds remaining, he waved goodbye toward the fan
Austin taunting the same courtside Pistons fan 😭 pic.twitter.com/SiCevbZB5j
— Lakers Daily (@LakersDailyCom) November 9, 2026
Reaves finished with 43 points, five rebounds and four assists as the Lakers won 121-116 without Luka Doncic to improve to 9-2.
The shot gave Los Angeles valuable breathing room. The Lakers were ahead by five before the basket, leaving Detroit within two possessions. Reaves stretched that margin to eight with less than a minute to play.
AR says goodnight pic.twitter.com/k4O8nTAEOt
— Lakers Daily (@LakersDailyCom) November 9, 2026
The shot and taunt were even more significant because Reaves and the courtside fan were seeing jawing at each other earlier in the game.
Austin getting in a Pistons fans face courtside 😳 pic.twitter.com/9L908Ugsf5
— Lakers Daily (@LakersDailyCom) November 9, 2026
Austin Reaves helps Lakers withstand Detroit’s comeback
Detroit had already shown how quickly it could close the gap when the Lakers’ offense stalled.
Late in the third quarter, Reaves went to the bench with 2:30 remaining. Los Angeles then came up empty on three consecutive possessions as Detroit used a 9-0 run to get within 84-79.
That stretch made Reaves’ late production particularly important. The Lakers needed to keep scoring to protect their lead, and his 3-pointer helped them avoid having to defend a one-possession advantage in the final minute.
Reaves also kept his mistakes to a minimum while carrying the offense. He finished with just one turnover.
The Lakers had entered the weekend facing uncertainty over Doncic, who was listed as questionable on Saturday’s injury report. His eventual absence left Los Angeles needing others to take on more scoring responsibility against Detroit.
Lakers get support around Reaves in fifth straight win
Reaves had help turning his big night into a victory. Collin Sexton and Ziaire Williams each scored 17 points, while Walker Kessler finished with 12 points, 16 rebounds, four assists and three blocks.
Quentin Grimes added 12 points. Before tipoff, JJ Redick emphasized that handling Detroit’s pressure could not fall to one player.
“It’s on everybody to handle their pressure,” Redick said.
"It's on everybody to handle their pressure."
JJ Redick discusses the expectations for the team with Luka missing tonight's game in Detroit.
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— Spectrum SportsNet (@SpectrumSN) November 8, 2026
Reaves supplied the largest share of the scoring, but the contributions around him helped the Lakers finish the job without Doncic. The victory extended their winning streak to five games.
