The Los Angeles Lakers got back on track, at least for the moment, with a much-needed 136-105 win over the Atlanta Hawks on Monday. The win snapped a two-game losing slide and put them back into ninth place in the Western Conference.
However, early in the game, it didn’t look good for the Lakers. They gave up the first eight points and fell behind, 11-2, with 9:50 left in the first quarter.
On Atlanta’s very first possession of the game, Jalen Johnson, an emerging forward, ran out on a fast break and dunked over Austin Reaves when Reaves tried to draw a charging foul.
JALEN JOHNSON POSTER ON AUSTIN REAVES 😳 pic.twitter.com/TzAvapWhPG
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) March 19, 2024
The Lakers guard was asked about the play afterward by Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times, and he didn’t seem to take it personally.
“I think that might be the first time I’ve ever been like, really dunked on,” Reaves said. “So I made it a really long time without being very athletic, picking my spots to get out of the way. Tried to take a charge. I don’t know, super athletic kid. And he got one. The longer I play the game, I’m sure it’s gonna happen again.
“So I ain’t too worried about it because kind of the whole sequence of that being the start, and then them kind of having that run. I’m sitting there like, [expletive], that’s what started it all, but we responded really well. And it just gives us the knowing if a team comes out like that, then we can, turn it around pretty quick.”
Reaves’ defensive shortcomings have often been exposed this season, but this was the first time he had been embarrassed in that fashion. Although he had a lackluster outing by scoring just 12 points on 4-of-9 shooting, he and his mates had the last laugh.
