The Los Angeles Lakers are staring down a hole they’ve seen before. It’s deep. It’s dark. It feels almost identical to the nightmares of previous postseasons. While the scoreboard in Game 2 against the Denver Nuggets showed another tally in the loss column, the box score whispered a different story about Austin Reaves. After a disappearing act in the series opener, Reaves showed up. He played with the kind of grit that turned him into a fan favorite. But honestly, individual bounce-backs don't mean much when your team is blowing 20-point leads in the high altitude of Colorado.
The problem isn't just about winning one game. It's about the psychological weight of losing to the same team ten times in a row. Austin Reaves finished Game 2 with 9 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 assists. Those aren't superstar numbers, but his impact went beyond the stat sheet. He was aggressive. He was fighting over screens. He looked like the guy who earned a massive contract extension, not the guy who looked lost 48 hours earlier.
Why the Reaves Revival Matters for the Lakers Survival
If you watched Game 1, you saw a version of Austin Reaves that looked hesitant. He was passing up open looks. He wasn't attacking the closeouts. In the NBA playoffs, hesitation is a death sentence. Against a team as disciplined as Denver, it’s a suicide mission.
In Game 2, the energy shifted. Reaves started making the winning plays that don't always show up on a highlight reel. He was diving for loose balls. He was communicating on defense. LeBron James and Anthony Davis are going to get theirs—that’s a given. Davis was a monster, dropping 32 points and grabbing 11 boards. LeBron was flirting with a triple-double. But the Lakers can't beat the defending champs with just two guys. They need the "Others." They need the guy who went from an undrafted free agent to a FIBA World Cup contributor.
The Nuggets are a machine. They don't panic. Jamal Murray can miss 13 of his first 15 shots and still have the confidence to sink a buzzer-beating fadeaway over the outstretched arms of Anthony Davis. That's what the Lakers are up against. When Nikola Jokic is orchestrating the offense, every Laker defender has to be locked in. Reaves being "back" means the Lakers have one more reliable decision-maker on the floor. It means LeBron doesn't have to bring the ball up every single possession at age 39.
The Brutal Reality of the Game 2 Collapse
Let's talk about the lead. 20 points. You don't lose 20-point leads in the playoffs and expect to have a fun flight home. The Lakers played nearly perfect basketball for two and a half quarters. Then, the oxygen seemed to leave the room.
Darvin Ham’s rotation choices are under the microscope again. Why did the offense stagnate? Why did the defensive intensity evaporate? The Nuggets outscored the Lakers 32-20 in the fourth quarter. It wasn't just luck. It was a systematic dismantling. Denver knows that if they stay within striking distance, the Lakers will eventually tire out or lose focus.
Austin Reaves was part of the group trying to hold the line. He hit a big three late in the game that felt like it might stem the tide. He was vocal. After the game, he told reporters that the team saw what they needed to see. They proved they can outplay Denver for long stretches. But "long stretches" don't win series. 48 minutes win series.
The Strategy Gap Between LA and Denver
- Defensive Rotations: The Lakers struggled to contain the Jokic-Murray two-man game once the pressure reached its peak.
- Bench Production: While Reaves improved, the rest of the supporting cast remained inconsistent.
- Transition Points: Denver punished every Lakers turnover with immediate points on the other end.
Michael Malone has built a culture where everyone knows their role. Christian Braun and Peyton Watson come off the bench and provide defensive length. Aaron Gordon does the dirty work. Porter Jr. hits the back-breaking shots. The Lakers, meanwhile, are still trying to figure out who their reliable fifth starter is on any given night.
What Reaves Needs to Do in Los Angeles
The series shifts to Crypto.com Arena. This is where the season is decided. If the Lakers drop Game 3, it’s over. History says no one comes back from 3-0. Reaves knows this. He grew up a Kobe Bryant fan. He understands the Laker legacy.
For the Lakers to actually win a game—not just compete, but win—Reaves has to be a double-digit scorer. He has to hunt his shot. When D'Angelo Russell is struggling, Reaves must become the secondary playmaker. In Game 2, Russell actually found his stroke, hitting seven threes. That should have been enough. The fact that it wasn't is terrifying for Laker fans.
The Lakers need to stop settling for moral victories. "We played them tough" doesn't get you a ring. "We had them on the ropes" doesn't hang banners. Austin Reaves bouncing back is a nice narrative, but the Lakers are currently a team defined by "almost."
How the Lakers Can Flip the Script at Home
It starts with the pick-and-roll defense. Anthony Davis was incredible for most of Game 2, but he looked exhausted by the final whistle. The Lakers have to find a way to give him a breather without the lead evaporating.
They also need to exploit Denver’s bench more. The Nuggets' starters are arguably the best unit in basketball, but their depth isn't what it was during their championship run. If Reaves can lead the second unit and push the pace, the Lakers might actually find some easy buckets.
Watch the off-ball movement in Game 3. If Reaves is standing in the corner waiting for a kick-out, the Lakers are in trouble. He needs to be involved in the action. He needs to be drawing fouls. Reaves is at his best when he's putting pressure on the officials and getting to the charity stripe. That slows the game down and allows the Lakers' older stars to catch their breath.
The path forward is simple but incredibly difficult. You defend your home court. You take the energy from the Los Angeles crowd. You remind Denver that winning on the road in the playoffs is supposed to be hard. Austin Reaves showed he's ready for the fight. Now, the rest of the roster has to follow suit before the clock runs out on this era of Lakers basketball.
Adjust the defensive coverage on Jamal Murray. Stop letting him get to his spots in the midrange. Force him to pass. If Michael Porter Jr. beats you, you live with it. You cannot let Murray and Jokic beat you together.
Go back to the film and look at the first six minutes of the third quarter. That’s the blueprint. High energy, quick transitions, and suffocating man-to-man defense. If the Lakers can replicate that for four quarters, they have a chance. If not, this "bounce back" from Reaves will just be a footnote in another early exit.
Focus on Game 3. Forget the 20-point lead. Forget the buzzer-beater. The only thing that matters is the next 48 minutes at Crypto.com Arena. If the Lakers play with the desperation that their season depends on it—because it does—they can turn this into a series. It’s time to stop talking about what they "need" to do and actually go out and do it.
