Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Luka Doncic's Immediate Reaction to Austin Reaves' 51 Points

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Angelo Guinhawa | Last updated Oct 27, 2025 1:01 AM ET

Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Doncic missed Sunday's game against the Sacramento Kings due to a left finger sprain and a lower left leg contusion. He is expected to miss at least a week due to the injuries.

With LeBron James already sidelined as he continues his recovery from sciatica, there was little hope for the Lakers heading into the Kings showdown. That is until Austin Reaves gave the Purple and Gold a reason to believe again.

Reaves recorded a near 50-point triple-double to lead the Lakers to a 127-120 victory over the Kings. He exploded for 51 points on 12-of-22 shooting, along with 11 rebounds, nine assists and two steals.

Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves (15) moves to the basket during an NBA game.Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

As the NBA world marveled in awe of Reaves, his Lakers teammates were quick to celebrate his performance and what he did for the team.

Aside from LeBron James, who called Reaves "too tough," Doncic also shared his admiration for the Lakers guard with a simple but powerful message.

On his Instagram Stories, the Slovenian superstar shared a post about Reaves' 51-piece and wrote, "Goat," while tagging his teammate.

Luka Doncic reacts to Austin Reaves' 51-point game pic.twitter.com/3v8k8gEsSr
— Kit Espina (@KeithEspino22) October 27, 2025

Reaves certainly deserves the praise he's getting. After all, the Lakers would have likely lost had it not been for his all-around performance.

Deandre Ayton was the only other Laker to score more than 20 points, finishing with 22, while Rui Hachimura added 18.

Meanwhile, six players scored in double digits for the Kings, with Zach LaVine dropping 31. DeMar DeRozan added 21 points, while Dennis Schroder and Russell Westbrook chipped in 18 apiece.

With both James and Doncic set to miss more games for the Lakers, there will certainly be plenty of eyes on Reaves to see if he can keep carrying the franchise. L.A. plays the Portland Trail Blazers next on Monday night.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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