Austin Reaves and the Los Angeles Lakers extended their season-long winning streak to nine games after a victory against the Orlando Magic, according to a March 23 report. The team’s recent success has been driven by strong performances from its starters, with Reaves playing an energetic role on both offense and defense.
Head coach JJ Redick has kept his players focused and united, resulting in improved performance on both ends of the court. Reaves said their confidence is high at this stage of the season. “Good,” Reaves said on Spectrum SportsNet. “We’ve done it in different ways. We’ve won ugly games where it wasn’t great offensively, we’ve won with our defense, and then we’ve dominated some games offensively. But just getting in a rhythm playing alongside one another, having fun and getting wins.”
Reaves also reflected on his competitive nature and drive to win: “At a young age, I never won anything,” he said. “With my brother being two years older than me … Basketball, baseball, tennis, ping-pong, he never let me win anything. So I grew a hatred to losing … Winning is — it fixes everything.”
The Lakers have shown increased effort during their winning streak as all players are contributing to victories in various ways. The article notes that stars like LeBron James have set an example for others by making hustle plays such as diving for loose balls.
In the context of a highly competitive Western Conference playoff race, this run comes at an important time for Los Angeles as they aim for home-court advantage heading into the postseason.
This season has also marked personal milestones for Reaves as he continues to establish himself alongside Luka Doncic in the backcourt. One highlight mentioned was when Reaves intentionally missed a free throw before scoring off his own rebound against Denver to force overtime—a play with significant implications for playoff tiebreakers.