Austin Reaves said on Mar. 24 that he was pleased with the Los Angeles Lakers’ competitive effort despite their recent loss to the Detroit Pistons, which ended a nine-game winning streak for the team. The Lakers had managed to close a significant gap against Detroit, narrowing what had been a double-digit deficit and making it a two-point game heading into the fourth quarter.
Reaves emphasized that although there were areas needing improvement, he appreciated how hard the team fought during the second half. “Yeah, I think we were down 16 or 18 in the third and battled our way back,” Reaves said on Spectrum SportsNet. “It was a two-point game going into the fourth. We did some really good things and there were some things that we needed to clean up. But it’s a long trip, and I like the way we competed.”
He also highlighted an increase in physicality and intensity during their winning streak as key factors for their improved play. “Just the physicality and the intensity that we’re playing with,” he added.
Earlier in the season, Los Angeles struggled to recover from early deficits in games but has recently shown resilience by coming back from behind—a development seen as an important improvement ahead of postseason play.
In another recent game against Miami Heat following a win over Houston Rockets, all three of Lakers’ stars—Luka Doncic, LeBron James, and Austin Reaves—were initially listed as questionable but ultimately played after James decided to participate. This decision contributed to another hard-fought victory for Los Angeles.
As playoffs approach, maintaining this level of competitiveness could make Los Angeles one of the more challenging teams for opponents.
