Social Media Reacts to Austin Reaves Dropping 51 on Kings

Austin Reaves erupted for a career-high 51 points Sunday night, powering the injury-hit Los Angeles Lakers to a 127-120 victory over the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center. With Luka Doncic sidelined by a finger injury and LeBron James nursing a back issue, Reaves delivered a performance for the ages, adding 11 rebounds and nine assists while shooting 12 of 22 from the field, including 6 of 10 from three-point range. He was nearly flawless at the line, hitting 21 of 22 free throws in 39 minutes.

“You got to step up when the team needs you,” Reaves said postgame, his calm demeanor belying the electric atmosphere. The undrafted guard out of Oklahoma joined Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal, Pau Gasol and Anthony Davis as the only Lakers with 50-point games this century. It topped his previous high of 45 points against Indiana last season.

Reaves, Luka and LeBron The New Big 3?

The win moved the Lakers to 2-1. DeAndre Ayton added 21 points and 15 rebounds, while Jarred Vanderbilt chipped in 14 points off the bench. Reaves’ highlight-reel drive over Domantas Sabonis in the first half had the Lakers’ bench on its feet.

Sacramento’s DeMar DeRozan dropped 12 of his 28 points in a 35-point second quarter, knotting the game at 62-62 by halftime. Reaves countered with 14 points in the period, including a step-back three and a floater over Sabonis. In the third, he traded buckets with Zach LaVine, nailing a dagger three to keep the Lakers ahead.

The Kings rallied late, cutting the lead to three with under a minute left. Reaves sealed the win with two clutch free throws. Kings coach Mike Brown admitted, “Reaves was unguardable tonight. We tried everything, and he kept attacking.” Sabonis added 18 points and 12 rebounds for Sacramento (1-2).

Reaves’ explosion lit up social media. ESPN’s SportsCenter called it a “career-high 51 🤯” with no Luka or LeBron. Skip Bayless praised Reaves’ efficiency, noting he’s a “star” who sacrifices alongside James and Doncic. Fans marveled at the “Hillbilly” — Reaves’ nickname — becoming the first undrafted player with a 50-point double-double since 1954.

Coach JJ Redick’s system thrives on versatility, and Reaves proved it works without its stars. Averaging 25.5 points over the first two games, he’s filled the void seamlessly. Doncic, expected back in a week, tweeted “Hillbilly” with fire emojis. James, out until mid-November, will return to a backcourt firing on all cylinders.

The Lakers host Portland on Monday (7:30 p.m. PT). If Reaves sustains this form, Los Angeles’ star-studded squad just found another gear.

Here are some of the tweets about Reaves going off.

My mans put the team on his back and said I got us! https://t.co/M5wxdNzuqM

— Uzimaki Teddy ⛩️🐻 (@teddykush09) October 27, 2025

The refs cooked the game https://t.co/usnHWcs8w5

— Clay (@Clayd28) October 27, 2025

he finna get the first billion dollar contract https://t.co/MRQrgpwaxp

— woof blitzer (@chrispoly33) October 27, 2025

Reaves scoring 51 while going 21/22 from the line makes his comment on Luka’s 49 piece even funnier 😭 https://t.co/WvNQGrjmYL pic.twitter.com/2z0BYbIAfz

— Bibs (@BibsCorner) October 27, 2025