Lakers without LeBron or Luka get career-high 45 points from Austin Reaves in win over Pacers

Media and fans at Crypto.com Arena and a national TV audience on ESPN were likely disappointed that Luka Dončić did not make his Los Angeles Lakers debut on Saturday afternoon. Then the team announced that LeBron James also wouldn’t play, sitting out with left ankle soreness.

ESPN already flexed Saturday’s matchup with the Indiana Pacers to its broadcast lineup in anticipation of Dončić playing before the team decided that its newest star likely would not take the court in Lakers purple and gold until Monday versus the Utah Jazz. But the network didn’t even get James for Saturday’s telecast.

Though he’s highly regarded in NBA circles, Austin Reaves doesn’t have the star power of James or Dončić. But he provided a superstar performance with a career-high 45 points in a 124-117 win over the Pacers.

Reaves shot 14-of-26 from the floor, including 4-of-9 on 3-pointers, and went 13-for-13 on free throws to lead a short-handed Lakers squad over last season’s Eastern Conference finalists (and the current No. 4 team in the East). He added seven rebounds, seven assists and three steals.

The Lakers showed what the rest of their team is capable of in the first quarter, scoring 44 points with Reaves getting 11 of them.

Rui Hachimura added seven in the quarter on his way to 24 points and nine rebounds for the game. Gabe Vincent tallied 12 points with seven assists and Jaxson Hayes — now under some pressure to replace Anthony Davis in the Lakers’ frontcourt — notched 12 rebounds and two blocks with nine points.

Speaking of Davis, Dončić and James sitting out was even more notable with the All-Star forward playing his first game for the Dallas Mavericks since last Saturday’s stunning blockbuster deal.

Hundreds of fans gathered outside American Airlines Center before the game to protest Mavericks management trading Dončić. But Davis gave Dallas fans a dazzling start with 26 points, 16 rebounds, seven assists and three blocks before leaving in the third quarter due to a non-contract groin injury. Afterwards, he said the injury was “nothing serious.”

Pascal Siakam led Indiana with 23 points, six rebounds, four assists and two steals. Tyrese Haliburton followed with 19 points, shooting 4-of-9 on 3s, while Bennedict Mathurin added 16.

How the Lakers will finish with their newest star has yet to be determined, but the team looked fine — better than fine, even — in their second home game since the Dončić deal. The Lakers have won five in a row and 11 of their past 13 games and currently hold the fourth spot in the Western Conference standings.

Up next for the Lakers is Monday’s home game versus the Jazz and what may be Dončić’s debut.