By Chalien Dantes

Austin Reaves is on fire, and the Lakers are riding his wave.

On Wednesday night, Reaves put on a show, scoring 28 points and dishing out 16 assists to lead Los Angeles past the Minnesota Timberwolves 116-115. His clutch floater in the final moments sealed the win.

Reaves has now opened five straight games with at least 25 points, which makes him the first Laker to do so since Kobe Bryant in 2005. At 27, he’s stepped into the spotlight while LeBron James and Luka Doncic recover from injuries.

Through five games, Reaves is averaging 34.2 points, 10 assists, and 5.6 rebounds per game, shooting over 52 per cent from the field and nearly 90 per cent from the line. His all-around play has transformed him from an undrafted underdog into the Lakers’ go-to guard.

James remains out with sciatica and is expected to be reevaluated in a few weeks, while Doncic continues his recovery from a finger sprain and leg contusion. In the meantime, head coach JJ Redick has leaned on Reaves to keep the Lakers competitive, and the team’s 3–2 start shows he’s doing exactly that.