Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves had a career night, scoring 38 points. This helped the Lakers secure a 102-101 win against the Brooklyn Nets.
With four seconds left in the game, the ball was in the hands of former Lakers player D’Angelo Russell who had a chance to win for the Nets. However, he missed his three-point shot.
“Man, it looked good, not good for us but the ball looked good in the air,” Reaves said. “It wouldn’t have been in that position if I hadn’t missed about four shots in a row.”
Reaves scored 15 points in the fourth quarter alone, his final shot pushed the Lakers to the 100-point mark. With 2:32 left in regulation, he set up an alley-oop for forward LeBron James.
Related Stories
Black Quarterbacks Shine in L.A. Bowl
Cal, UNLV Inspire La Tijera Students at Day of Play
“I’ve seen my whole life [James] catching lobs and dunking,” Reaves said. “To be the one throwing him the ball is still cool to me.”
James ended the night with 29 points, seven rebounds, and eight assists.
The Lakers got the win without center Anthony Davis, who was ruled out less than an hour before the game. This allowed center Trey Jemison III, who was signed to the Lakers two days ago, to get almost 15 minutes of playing time.
“It’s a blessing to get my feet wet, get it out the way, first-game jitters, over with now,” Jemison III said. “My goal out here is just to be physical, do all the hard stuff, and let the other guys do the easy stuff.”
Jemison competed for Clemson and the University of Alabama at Birmingham before going undrafted in 2023. Last season, he averaged 10.9 points and 12.0 rebounds in the G League with the Birmingham Squadron.
Prior to joining the Lakers, Jemison played for the Washington Wizards, Memphis Grizzlies, and New Orleans Pelicans. He noted how there had been times when he gave up on the process of reaching the highest stages of basketball.
“I was gonna quit basketball, give it up but I kept my faith in God,” Jemison said. “I had a long prayer one night and God put on my heart “you’re 6’10” and 250, I didn’t make you that way for no reason.””
The Lakers will visit the Intuit Dome for the first time to battle the Clippers on January 19 at 6:00P.M.
