SAN FRANCISCO — Christmas in California isn’t a Hallmark film. The one magical snowfall within the Bay Space on Wednesday got here when white confetti fluttered down on the finish of a basketball recreation between the Lakers and the Warriors whereas a carol performed over the Chase Heart loud audio system.
The followers had been largely unimpressed, Austin Reaves having grinched the house staff’s vacation moments earlier.
As they walked out, Reaves walked towards the center of the court docket, placing on a headset to dissect what had simply occurred in a postgame radio interview.
Sitting down on the scorer’s tables through the post-buzzer blizzard, the second wasn’t misplaced on Reaves. He, as he’s keen on reminding individuals, isn’t actually presupposed to be in these moments. He wasn’t adequate to get drafted. His city was too small for him to essentially get closely recruited. And he actually wasn’t the form of participant that you simply’d anticipate to be leaving the NBA’s marquee recreation with the ball after hitting the successful shot.
Lakers guard Austin Reaves scores the successful basket throughout a 115-113 victory over the Warriors on Wednesday.
(Noah Graham / NBAE by way of Getty Pictures)
That’s what “they” have believed. Him? Much less shocked.
Nonetheless, Reaves’ Christmas efficiency caught even him off guard. He’d wrapped his third-ever triple-double by sliding previous the Warriors protection to beat Golden State 115-113.
“I’m really not really an emotional person,” Reaves mentioned of the second on the scorer’s desk. “… There was a quick second where I thought I might tear up. And that doesn’t happen a lot. But it’s Christmas…”
And for a second, he thought of Arkansas and his family and friends. He thought of Germany, the place his older brother, Spencer, is among the high shooters within the nation. He thought, for a tick, concerning the lengthy odds to that scorer’s desk.
“I know all my people back home are locked in and sitting around with family watching the game and that means a lot to me,” Reaves mentioned. “I say it all the time, I’m not necessarily supposed to be in this position. I got lucky, got my foot in the door and took advantage of an opportunity. And now I’m sitting here … on Christmas with a game-winner and a triple-double, and really the win that matters the most to me.”
However due to Stephen Curry’s 17-point fourth quarter, it virtually wasn’t adequate.
The Lakers noticed their 10-point lead with 3:27 left vanish due to a flurry of Curry triples, the Lakers needing a last bucket with 6.6 seconds left to depart San Francisco with a win.
“To start off,” Reaves mentioned, “the play was not for me.”
The Lakers tried to get the inbounded move to LeBron James, however Draymond Inexperienced and Curry adopted him.
“The patience, I think, with 6.6 seconds to just get the ball and let the play develop and let us get to our space, that was the biggest thing,” Lakers coach JJ Redick mentioned. “Not going fast and allowing us to get him room to operate.”
Max Christie cleared to the highest of the important thing after inbounding. Gabe Vincent dragged Dennis Schroder to the alternative nook. And Rui Hachimura, someway, bought Jonathan Kuminga to show his again to the ground whereas he was out of bounds on the baseline.
Reaves caught the move, squared to the rim, jab-stepped proper and flew previous Andrew Wiggins. He scooped the layup in earlier than a defender got here near difficult his first successful shot of the season.
“It’s always great to have great options out on the floor at the same time,” James mentioned. “And AR has been in that position before.”
Reaves received the Lakers a recreation his rookie season in Dallas. He’s hit huge pictures since. However one thing about Christmas, one thing concerning the second…
“Five seconds is a long time when it comes to basketball,” he mentioned.
On Christmas in opposition to the Warriors, 5 seconds was sufficient time to create a second he’ll always remember.
