When Austin Reaves joined forces with Luka Doncic in the Los Angeles Lakers win over the Phoenix Suns on Sunday, it had him feeling good.
However, Reaves has had one game circled on the calendar in March. Playing the Denver Nuggets.
There’s some bad blood between Reaves and the Nuggets. For starters, the team has eliminated the Lakers from playoff contention in two consecutive years.
In 2023, it was a sweep in the Western Conference Finals to advance to the NBA Finals. In 2024, it was a first-round exit, headlined by multiple game-winning shots by Jamal Murray.
Now with Doncic, the Lakers are reloaded. Still, the addition hasn’t changed or altered Reaves’s mind since those two series. He explained via ESPN’s Dave McMenamin on X (formerly Twitter) about the upcoming game.
“Obviously they’ve kicked our a** the last couple postseasons and we want to return the favor,” Reaves said. “But you want to beat everybody you play.”
The Nuggets have had Nikola Jokic lead the way for them. The latter is in MVP contention and could easily win the award. On the flip side, the Lakers made a bombshell trade for Doncic before the NBA trade deadline.
As a result, Los Angeles has climbed its way in the standings and is currently the fourth seed. A 42-25 record is impressive. Not to mention, both teams could be grappling for that third seed.
Austin Reaves wants the Lakers to have revenge against Nuggets
Although revenge is a dish best served sweet, it might not fall in the Lakers’ favor. Roughly two weeks ago, LeBron James suffered a groin strain.
The injury has kept him sidelined and will likely keep him sidelined for the game against the Nuggets. Still, Los Angeles has Reaves and Doncic as the backcourt to lead the way.
In their previous encounter, Los Angeles came away with a 131-126 loss. Following that game, Reaves dropped a pessimistic take despite the Lakers shortcomings.
Some of those shortcomings had to do with injuries. Now, Doncic is likely set to play, which automatically increases Los Angeles’s odds to win the game.
Not to mention, the Nuggets are coming off of a back-to-back against the Golden State Warriors. While they rested Christian Braun, Murray, and Jokic, the three will likely play on Tuesday.
James will remain out, leaving the Lakers a bit shorthanded.
Either way, Reaves and his team will try and have a nice dish of revenge waiting for them on Tuesday as they walk into Crypto.com Arena.
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