Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves strengthened his early-season case for his first All-Star selection during Wednesday’s 116-115 road win over the Minnesota Timberwolves. The undrafted playmaker capped off a monster double-double performance with an electric game-winner, garnering rave reactions from Lakers superstars LeBron James and Luka Dončić.
With James (sciatica) having yet to make his 2025-26 season debut and Dončić (finger/leg) sidelined for the third straight game, Reaves was once again tasked with primary ball-handling duties. The 27-year-old rose to the occasion and then some, tallying a team-high 28 points, a career-high-tying 16 assists, two steals, and three 3-pointers as he came through in crunch time.
Trailing 115-114 with 6.6 seconds remaining, LA got the ball into Reaves at the top of the arc. After splitting two defenders on a pick-and-roll, he drove into the paint and converted an off-balance 12-foot floater as time expired, propelling his shorthanded squad back above .500 (3-2).
How Did LeBron James and Luka Dončić Respond to Austin Reaves’ Game-Winner Against Minnesota?
Shortly after Reaves’ thrilling buzzer-beater, James and Dončić each took to X to give the rising star his flowers.
“A-MUTHAF**KIN-R!!!!!!!!!!!!!” James tweeted.
“[GOAT],” Dončić added.
🐐
— Luka Doncic (@lukadoncic) October 30, 2025
Reaves’ heroics allowed LA to prevail after blowing a 20-point third-quarter advantage. The Lakers still led 112-101 with 4:01 left in the final frame before Minnesota mounted a furious late-game comeback. Timberwolves star forward Julius Randle connected on a go-ahead finger roll to put his squad ahead 115-114 with 10.2 seconds before Reaves’ emphatic response.
The fifth-year player has now scored 25-plus points in all five outings this season and recorded double-digit assists twice. Reaves is posting career-best numbers across the board, averaging 34.2 points, 5.6 rebounds, 10.0 assists, 1.8 steals, and 3.0 3-pointers per game while shooting an efficient 52.5%.
Despite James and Dončić’s effusive praise, Reaves jokingly anticipated catching flak from his co-stars in Wednesday’s postgame interview. While he delivered an eye-popping stat line, he shot a season-low 37.5% (9-for-24).
“They’ll probably tell me I suck since I missed like 14 shots,” Reaves quipped.
“They’ll probably tell me I suck.” 😂
Austin Reaves on what LeBron and Luka will tell him after his game-winner over the Timberwolves. pic.twitter.com/Ol2wBBLM6y
— ESPN (@espn) October 30, 2025
However, it appears there will be no such nitpicking, as Reaves continues to exceed even the most optimistic of expectations. In addition to his improved go-to scoring chops, he has made life easier for his teammates. Four other Lakers finished with 15-plus points against Minnesota, led by forward Jake LaRavia (27 points).
Reaves will look to keep the magic alive during Friday’s road clash against the Memphis Grizzlies (3-2), LA’s NBA Cup group play opener.
