Shorthanded Lakers Win in Minnesota: Reaves Dominates Again
Two words: Austin Reaves. Tonight, your Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves on the back of another fantastic showing from Austin Reaves. The Purple and Gold went into the game still absolutely riddled with injuries, missing both stars, Luka and LeBron, as well as Marcus Smart and Gabe Vincent.
Minnesota came into the game without Anthony Edwards, but still seemed to have the more talented overall roster tonight. The Lakers proved this is why you still have to play the game by winning an absolute nailbiter.
Lakers Get Another Stellar Reaves Show
What can even be said at this point? Going into tonight’s game, Reaves was third in the NBA in points per game with 35.8 PPG. He continued his impressive string of games tonight.
The Lakers have gotten the best version of Reaves so far in his young career, and it couldn’t have come at a better time. His performances in the absence of Luka and LeBron have been nothing short of perfection.
Tonight’s interaction with Reaves’ domination gave us a better peek into Austin, the facilitator. What’s drawn the league’s attention to this point has been his scoring bursts, but tonight in Minnesota, Reaves tied his career-high in assists with 16. The team shot 15/21 off of Reaves’ passes, so you know he was putting his guys in ideal positions, especially with some very impressive full-court passes.
AUSTIN REAVES WINS IT FOR THE LAKERS IN MINNESOTA 😱😱😱 pic.twitter.com/qftaDRTenE
— ESPN (@espn) October 30, 2025
And who doesn’t love a buzzer-beater, right?
Supporting Cast Led By LaRavia
For the first time in this stretch of games since the injuries started piling up, other players outside of Reaves actually stepped up to the plate. Sure, Ayton has been playing well, and Rui has been shooting the lights out (63.4%), but it hasn’t been enough.
Tonight was different.
We saw an especially awe-inspiring performance from Jake LaRavia in his first breakout game with the Purple and Gold. LaRavia posted 27 points on 10/11 and 5/6 from three with a whopping 17 in the third quarter. He obviously won’t get the same volume once the team is back to full health, but it’s nice to know the team has another lethal scorer waiting in the wings.
Rui Hachimura continued his hot shooting with 17 points on 7/11 from the field and 1/2 from three, while Deandre Ayton pitched in yet another double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds on 8/11 shooting.
Dalton Knecht Contributions
At long last, the Lakers finally got contributions from the second-year Dalton Knecht. Even though his three-ball is still struggling, he utilized his athleticism to get to the rim and finish in the midrange.
KNECHT PLAYING LIKE WE KNOW HE CAN 🔥 pic.twitter.com/L08quPvahC
— Lakers All Day Everyday (@LADEig) October 30, 2025
For the game, Knecht finished with 15 points on 7/12 shooting.
Hopefully, he can consistently chip in during this stretch of games without Luka, LeBron, and multiple others. In the worst-case scenario, he took a step toward raising his trade value tonight.
My Kingdom for a Secondary Ball Handler
Yes, the team is riddled with injuries, but the minutes without Reaves on the court have been nothing short of abysmal. Against Portland, the team turned the ball over 25 times, and tonight, it didn’t look much better.
Without Austin Reaves on the court, this Los Angeles team barely looks like they could compete in the G-League. Hopefully, they can keep stringing together competitive performances as a team because Luka and LeBron can’t come back soon enough, even if this Reaves run is fun as hell.
