The Los Angeles Lakers opened their second-round playoff series with a difficult 108-90 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday night at Paycom Center. While LeBron James delivered 27 points in the defeat, much of the postgame attention centered on Austin Reaves and his struggles against Oklahoma City’s defense.
Reaves finished with eight points on 3-of-16 shooting and missed all five of his 3-point attempts. He also committed four turnovers in 36 minutes as the Thunder’s perimeter defenders consistently disrupted the Lakers’ offense. The performance came after Reaves returned late in the first-round series against the Houston Rockets from a Grade 2 oblique strain.
The Lakers stayed competitive early, trailing by only eight at halftime, but their offense stalled in the second half. Los Angeles scored just 37 points after the break, while Oklahoma City pulled away behind strong defensive pressure and balanced scoring from Chet Holmgren, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Ajay Mitchell.
NBA Fans React to Austin Reaves’ Struggles Against Oklahoma City Thunder
Following the loss, NBA fans reacted strongly on social media to Reaves’ performance and his role within the Lakers’ offense.
One fan questioned whether Reaves can consistently handle a larger offensive responsibility in the postseason.
“Good regular season player, but unfortunately his game doesn’t translate to the playoffs,” one fan wrote. “Has a hard time playing through contact and scoring on athletic defenders.”
Another post criticized the Lakers’ decision-making around roster construction and expectations for Reaves.
“Lakers also tried to sell AR as a no. 2 option behind Luka,” one fan posted. “Now in front of the whole world the truth is being shown. AR is a quality role player with weaknesses/struggles in playoffs.”
Some criticism focused on his ball-handling and defensive play during Game 1.
“This is nothing new,” another fan wrote. “He does this every playoffs. Can’t handle the ball in traffic, doesn’t see the floor except the basket. Huge liability defensively.”
Others pointed directly to his shooting numbers and defensive issues against Oklahoma City’s guards and wings.
“They should replace him on the court with Bronny,” one fan posted. “He can’t hit shots and lets OKC shoot 100%.”
Reaves’ shooting line marked a historic low for a Lakers playoff performance. According to ESPN, his 18.8% shooting percentage was the lowest by a Lakers player in a playoff game over the last 35 years with at least 15 field-goal attempts.
Lakers Still Searching for Offensive Support Behind LeBron James
GettyLos Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves
Despite the criticism, some fans defended Reaves, citing his recent injury recovery and the difficulty of facing Oklahoma City’s defense.
“He’s not healthy man,” one fan wrote. “AR missed a lot of games, conditioning is a factor. And OKC’s defense is great.”
Another fan acknowledged both the struggles and the context surrounding the performance.
“Most of us have been rooting for Austin Reaves since he came into the league,” the fan posted. “And I get it he’s still trying to find his rhythm after coming back from injury. But in a game like this, in a spot like this, you simply can’t have this type of performance.”
The fan added, “The Lakers are already short handed. They need reliable guard play. They need decision making. They need shot creation. Reaves has earned a lot of trust with Lakers fans, but tonight has been rough.”
Los Angeles needed more offensive support behind James throughout Game 1. Rui Hachimura scored 18 points, while Deandre Ayton recorded a 10-point, 11-rebound double-double. However, the Lakers scored only 15 bench points and struggled to generate consistent offense as Oklahoma City ramped up its defensive pressure in the third quarter.
The Thunder took control midway through the second half after a key scoring run that extended the lead into double digits. Reaves committed one of his four turnovers during that stretch, while missed 3-point attempts from both Reaves and Marcus Smart prevented the Lakers from closing the gap.
With Luka Doncic still sidelined by a hamstring injury, the Lakers continue to rely heavily on Reaves as a secondary creator and scorer next to James. Game 1 showed how difficult that task becomes against one of the NBA’s top defensive teams.
The Lakers and Thunder will meet again on Thursday night for Game 2, with Los Angeles attempting to avoid falling into a 2-0 series deficit before returning home.
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