The Lakers blew a massive 25-point lead on Friday night, and Austin Reaves refuses to make excuses. He finished with eight turnovers in the 112-95 loss to the Warriors at Chase Center. Reaves cut through the noise with a simple four-word assessment of his own performance. He told reporters, “I was terrible again,” and added, “That’s it.”
That honesty comes after a rough stretch for the sixth-year guard. Reaves committed eight turnovers against the Clippers on Wednesday too, matching his total from Friday. He scored 21 points on 9-of-19 shooting in the loss, but the ball security issues overshadowed the offense. The Lakers committed a season-high 22 turnovers total, giving Golden State easy looks in transition. Reaves accounted for nearly half of those mistakes alone.
The Second Quarter Collapse
The game fell apart in the second quarter when the Warriors outscored the Lakers 38-15. Reaves was the primary culprit during that 23-point swing, recording three turnovers in just that period. The Lakers had led 40-15 early, but the Warriors tied the game at 53 by halftime. “Just bad — we were bad,” Reaves said about the second quarter performance. He specifically blamed the starting unit that opened the second period. “That first group that started the second was bad,” he noted, according to the New York Post. “And like I said, it starts with me, so I’ll be better.”
Reaves struggled to handle the defensive pressure from the start. He recorded six of his eight turnovers in the first half as the Warriors disrupted his rhythm. The Lakers’ offense stalled whenever Luka Doncic wasn’t on the court, but Reaves had to own his part in the collapse. He admitted that building chemistry over the regular season is key to fixing these issues. “I mean, it’s real, but it doesn’t give that second unit an excuse to be pretty terrible,” Reaves said. He promised to watch the film and learn quickly. “And that starts with me. And I’ll watch the film, try to be better. You got to learn on the fly and pick up things quickly. But as I said, I have to be better to start that.”
Reaves cannot keep turning the ball over if the Lakers want to win in the NBA Cup. The team needs its guards to make smart decisions against elite defenses like Golden State. Steve Kerr’s Warriors are already struggling with turnovers themselves, averaging 17.4 per game over their first five contests. If the Lakers keep coughing up the ball like they did on Friday, they will lose close games down the line. Reaves knows the stakes are high, and his blunt admission shows he understands the gravity of the situation.
He must handle two-on-the-ball defensive coverages with more poise. The Warriors’ pressure exposed a weakness that opponents will exploit all season. Reaves has the talent to be a key player, but he needs to cut down the mistakes. His willingness to take the blame publicly is a good sign, but actions on the court matter more than words in the locker room. The Lakers need him to stabilize the offense immediately.
The Lakers must fix these issues before their next matchup in the NBA Cup group play. They cannot afford another game where they blow a 25-point lead due to careless play. Reaves has vowed to get better, and the team expects him to deliver. The next game will be the first real test of whether he can turn things around quickly. Fans will be watching closely to see if his promise to “be better” translates into fewer turnovers.
