It took a last-second tip-in by LeBron James on Wednesday for the Lakers to beat the Pacers. The team snuck out of Indiana with a 120-119 victory. Los Angeles is 44-28 this season.
After the game, ESPN studio analyst and former NBA champion Kendrick Perkins went on SportsCenter. Perkins called Lakers SG Austin Reaves the team’s “X-factor” for the playoffs. Can Reaves elevate his game in the postseason for the Lakers?
Kenrick Perkins believes Austin Reaves is the Lakers’ ‘X-factor’ in the playoffs
“If the Lakers are going to make a deep run in the postseason, it’s going to be because of games like this behind Austin Reaves.” @KendrickPerkins discusses why he thinks Reaves is the x-factor for the Lakers 💪 pic.twitter.com/ggMeLkWTeb
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) March 27, 2025
The 2024-25 trade deadline changed the trajectory of the Lakers’ season. Los Angeles was (+4000) via odds via NBA sportsbook BetOnline before they acquired Luka Doncic. Those odds quickly shifted to (+1800) upon Luka’s arrival in LA. Through 19 games with the Lakers, Los Angeles is now (+900) to win the NBA Finals. After the Lakers’ win on Wednesday night, ESPN’s Kendrick Perkins had an intriguing argument.
He called Austin Reaves the Lakers’ “X-factor” for the playoffs. Luka Doncic and LeBron James are consistent players for Los Angeles. Perkins believes Reaves can be the player that takes the Lakers to another level. Reaves went undrafted out of Arkansas and is in his fourth professional season. His 64 starts in 2024-25 is the most of his career in a single season. Additionally, his (19.7) points, (4.5) rebounds, (5.9) assists, and (1.1) steals per game are all new career highs.
Since Luka Doncic married in LA, Reaves is averaging (21.2) points per game. He’s scored 22+ points in seven of his last eight games for the Lakers. If Reaves can continue this type of production, the Lakers have a legitimate chance to win the Finals. Having three players who can all score 20+ points per game nightly would be hard to beat in the postseason. Especially when two of those players are Luka Doncic and LeBron James. We’ll see how far the Lakers can make in the 2025 playoffs.
