The Los Angeles Lakers had a great chance to end their two-game skid on Friday night while facing the Philadelphia 76ers in a game that went into overtime. Youngster Austin Reaves had a chance to tie up the game after he was fouled shooting a 3-pointer with just seconds remaining in regulation.
Though he made the first two free throws, he missed the third, keeping the Lakers down by one.
Luckily, superstar big man Anthony Davis managed to force a turnover and was sent to the line. But he also missed a free throw, and instead of potentially adding five points to their total in the final seconds of the quarter, the Lakers added just three.
Those three points were enough to force an extra frame, but the Lakers came out flat in overtime and ended up losing the contest 133-122. The game offered the Lakers a golden opportunity to get a win and keep building off the great momentum they had established during a recent 10-game stretch in which they went 8-2.
Now, they have to go back to the drawing board.
Reaves himself admitted following the game that “you always have to make that” regarding his missed free throw near the end of regulation. He even admitted that his mom is likely frustrated with him for failing to execute at the line.
"You always have to make that [free throw], especially under those circumstances…. But it sucks to miss. I’m sure my mom will be frustrated at me for missing a free throw." Austin Reaves on the fourth quarter, his missed free throw and more. pic.twitter.com/ODkXEByZG6
— Spectrum SportsNet (@SpectrumSN) December 10, 2022
While the Lakers missed out on a big opportunity to get a win on Friday night, it is good to see that Reaves is using the game as a way to learn and improve.
Though the Lakers are now just 10-15 on the season, their recent success (prior to their current three-game losing streak) proved that they can compete in the league this season. Even their game on Friday offered signs that they are better than their record may indicate.
The team simply has to learn from Friday’s mistakes and move on to the next game. Every win means a lot right now as the Lakers look to get back to .500 and into the playoff conversation.
As for Reaves, despite missing that third free throw, he had an undeniably impressive game on Friday. He dropped 25 points on 60.0 percent shooting from the field and 66.7 percent shooting from deep. He was one of the reasons the Lakers were even able to stay in the game versus Philadelphia.
Though it’s a shame the Lakers lost, the good news is that they have a real opportunity to get a win on Sunday when they take on the Detroit Pistons. Reaves will surely work on his free throws a bit before that game arrives.
