When news broke that Austin Reaves had a good chance at playing in Game 5 of the Lakers-Rockets first round series, analysts everywhere assumed this was exactly what Los Angeles needed.
Another proven score-first, efficient-pick-and-roll ball handler to help take the pressure off LeBron James was what was needed to unlock the Lakers offense after six consecutive quarters of subpar ball.
Speaking on his Club 520 podcast, a popular weekly basketball and culture podcast hosted by Teague alongside his his friends DJ Wells and Bishop B Hen, Teague shattered the Lakers.
“I told y’all that as soon they said Austin Reaves was playing game 5, I got the Rockets,” Teague said. “4 for 16 is crazy. Luke Kennard didn’t get no touches. … Reaves said ‘I’m the real white guy here’.”
Teague wasn’t wrong either. The Lakers were lifeless in their 99-93 loss Wednesday night.
Playing for the first time since suffering a Grade 2 oblique strain four weeks ago, Reaves came off the bench and played 34 minutes. While his overall stat line was impressive — 22 points, six assists and four rebounds — Reaves shot 4-of-16 from the field and 2-for-8 from three, which included a 1-for-8 performance in the fourth quarter.
Meanwhile, Kennard finished with just one point (0-for-4 from the field, 0-of-2 from three), three rebounds and two assists in 31 minutes. In the previous four games before Reaves return, Kennard averaged 17.8 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists in 39.3 minutes per game.
The Lakers, who lead 3-2, will have a chance to close out the series on Friday night. Game 6 will tipoff at 6:30 p.m. PT.
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