The Los Angeles Lakers played the Miami Heat on March 20, just hours after arriving in South Beach at 5:00 a.m. local time, with Austin Reaves, LeBron James, and Luka Doncic all listed as questionable due to the tight schedule. Despite expectations that the team’s stars might rest, all three took the court, leading the Lakers to their eighth consecutive win.
The decision for the trio to play was influenced by James’ leadership. Reaves said on Spectrum SportsNet, “It’s fun to watch. I have one of the best seats to greatness every single night, and watching those guys do what they do.” He explained that when James committed to playing despite fatigue and travel challenges, it set an example for his teammates. “It goes a long way. When he said he was playing, I was like I can’t let a 41-year-old play and I don’t play,” Reaves said. “So I signed up to play, so did Luka, and we went and grinded a win out. That’s not an easy one, especially with the pace that team plays at. But the second half, especially that third quarter, we played some good basketball and then down the stretch took over the game.”
During an early timeout in the game when fatigue was apparent among players, head coach JJ Redick acknowledged their tiredness but James quickly responded otherwise. “I remember there was a timeout early and JJ came over and was like, ‘I know y’all are tired,’ and Bron was like, ‘I’m not tired.’ So I was like, ‘I’m not tired either.’ So yeah, follow the leader; that goes along with the belief that we’re talking about,” Reaves said.
The Lakers’ Big 3—James, Doncic, and Reaves—have taken time to develop chemistry on court despite strong off-court relationships. In March they have found success together: James has shifted his focus from scoring to efficiency and hustle; Doncic has delivered dominant performances including a recent 60-point game; while Reaves has stepped up as a key contributor even during shooting slumps.
James also addressed criticism suggesting that the Lakers perform better without him following his brief absence from three consecutive wins earlier in the season. His return has coincided with five straight victories for Los Angeles.
As this stretch continues into March with improved teamwork among its stars, observers will be watching how far this momentum can carry the Lakers through upcoming games.
