Austin Reaves calls his play terrible in Lakers loss to Warriors

Austin Reaves drained two free throws to open the second quarter on Friday night at Chase Center, pushing the Los Angeles Lakers’ lead to a commanding 40-15.

From that exact juncture, the Golden State Warriors dominated the floor by a staggering 97-55 margin to coast to a decisive victory.

A 25-Point Cushion Evaporates in San Francisco

The turning point arrived when the Lakers’ starters sat down. A second unit orchestrated by Reaves let the lead evaporate entirely.

Turning the ball over eight times for the second straight game, Reaves did not mince words regarding his performance after the blowout loss, telling Spectrum SportsNet that his play was “terrible again.”

Player Accountability From the Locker Room

“Just bad. We were bad. That first group that started the second unit was bad,” Reaves told Spectrum SportsNet.

Austin Reaves did not mince words about his play in the #Lakers loss to the Warriors.https://t.co/RqcdqEQxBV

— https://x.com/LakersNation/status/2116592042365096244

“Like I said, it starts with me. So I’ll be better.”

The Lakers had entered the matchup with a 4-1 record, a strong start given a roster featuring nine new players who are still learning how to play together.

Roster Turnover and Chemistry Adjustments

Yet, Reaves refused to lean on the roster turnover as a crutch for Friday’s offensive unraveling.

Austin Reaves calls his play terrible in Lakers loss to Warriors

“Yeah, it’s real,” Reaves said of the team’s ongoing chemistry adjustments. “But that doesn’t give that second unit an excuse to be pretty terrible. And that starts with me. I’ll watch the film and try to be better. But you gotta learn on the fly and pick up things quickly. As I said, I have to be better to start that.”

Untangling the Golden State Defensive Blitz

A primary catalyst for the Lakers’ 20 turnovers on the night was Golden State’s aggressive defensive scheme, specifically the constant blitzes and double teams coordinated by Draymond Green. Reaves acknowledged the elite tier of defense Green brings to the hardwood.

“Draymond is one of the best defensive engines in the entire NBA and he’s been doing it for a long time,” Reaves said. “They were up to touch but wouldn’t really kind of shock until we were inside the 3-point line. We just gotta be able to get behind the big with the big rolling and trust them to make plays. Tonight, we just didn’t really get too many advantages out of that. We’ll be better.”

An Immediate Back-to-Back Schedule Looms

The schedule offers zero breathing room for L.A. to iron out these systemic kinks. The team heads immediately into a demanding back-to-back set, facing the Toronto Raptors on Sunday before traveling to take on the Miami Heat on Monday.