On Monday night, the Nuggets once again dumped the Lakers out of the postseason after last year’s Western Conference Finals. The narrow 108-106 loss at the Ball Arena meant that’s the last time fans saw the Lakers play this season.
After the crushing series loss, Austin Reaves sat down with the press to reflect on his performance. Taking full accountability for his output, the 25-year-old said, “I’m frustrated with myself… I wasn’t good enough. I hold myself to a high standard because I believe in myself… I’ll think about that all summer.”
Reaves chipped in with 19 points in game 5, but his 25% 3-pts shooting was far below the required standards for a playoff game. After providing glimpses of his quality last season, big things were expected of the guard, but there hasn’t been a remarkable improvement apart from minor statistical increases.
His 3-point hit in the 4th quarter was his only highlight moment of Game 5, but ultimately, he was unable to significantly alter the result. That has been the theme of his game in the series, from which Reaves looked eager to move on.
Austin Reaves’ Performance in Playoff Series
Austin Reaves had a sloppy start in the first two games of round one of the playoff tournament, but he picked up the pace in the following games and supported the offense.
The guard opened the series by scoring 13 points coupled with 4 rebounds and 3 assists, which dropped to 9-6-2 in the next game, where Reaves struggled with hitting the target from the floor (36.4%) and behind the 3-point arc (20%).
Click on ‘Follow Us’ and get notified of the most viral NBA stories via Google! Follow Us
He entered Game 3 with more confidence in front of the home crowd and managed to put up 22 points on the Lakers’ scoreboard while grabbing 5 rebounds, distributing 3 assists, nabbing 4 steals, and hitting 8-of-17 shots from the floor and 2-of-5 from the 3-point range. Despite his efforts, the LA franchise lost three games in a row.
In Game 4, when the Lakers finally had some luck over the Nuggets, Reaves chipped in 21 points in the win, but his shooting from the deep got worse (16.7%). With the loss in the fifth game, the Nuggets swept the Purple and Gold under the rug and made Reaves exit the tournament with an average of 16.8 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 3.6 assists in the playoffs and with a lot to prove next season.
Also Read: “He Was Like ‘I’ll Do It’”: Austin Reaves Talks About Anthony Davis’ Mentality
