The Los Angeles Lakers, as is oftentimes the case whenever they take the floor for the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, brought a whole bunch of fans to the Thomas and Mack Center on Sunday evening. The team took on the Phoenix Suns in a rematch of their first-round series from this past postseason, with an undrafted player getting a look in the purple and gold playing the hero.
Los Angeles found itself down by one with less than 10 seconds remaining. Vic Law’s attempt from behind the three-point line came up a bit short, but on the ensuing miss, Austin Reaves found himself in position to reel in the rebound and, while still in midair, bank in what ended up being a game-winning bucket.
What a putback pic.twitter.com/xpqOS8j5z4
— CJ Fogler #BlackLivesMatter (@cjzero) August 9, 2021
Reaves was a player some NBA Draft prognosticators believed could have gone in the second round. A high-scoring guard who began his collegiate career at Wichita State before transferring to Oklahoma, Reaves averaged 18.3 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per game en route to first-team All-Big 12 honors with the Sooners last year.
The Lakers will, like any team, use Summer League as a chance to evaluate younger dudes and see how they can potentially fit in their program. Reaves had a modest night, scoring 11 points and pulling in four rebounds, but he certainly garnered some positive attention with this bucket.