Austin Reaves Reveals Shocking Luka Doncic Prediction After Win
With LeBron James sidelined, the Los Angeles Lakers have turned into the ‘Luka Doncic Show’ to begin the 2025-26 NBA season. While Austin Reaves is still on the court and putting up All-Star-level numbers, Doncic has been busy breaking long-standing Lakers’ records.
In the team’s most recent win against the Minnesota Timberwolves in an early-season playoff rematch, Doncic finished with 49 points, 11 rebounds, and eight assists in the 18-point win. With the performance, Doncic broke Jerry West’s franchise record from 56 years ago for the most points scored in the first two Lakers’ games of the season, combining for 92 compared to West’s 81.
Though just a fraction of the way through the year, Doncic is now averaging 46 points per game. When Reaves was asked if his superstar teammate could keep up his scoring numbers after his historic performance, the shooting guard gave a blunt response.
“Yes,” Reaves said when asked if Doncic could average 40 points per game over the entire season and contribute to the team winning. “Yes. He’s so good, it’s weird.”
Doncic also became the first player in Lakers history to score at least 40 points in the first two games of a season. It was also only the fourth time in NBA history a player hit that mark, with Doncic now joining Anthony Davis, Michael Jordan, and Wilt Chamberlain on the exclusive list.
Luka Doncic On His Historic Scoring Start
While the Slovenian did score a game-high 43 points in Los Angeles’ season opener against the Golden State Warriors, he was overshadowed by Stephen Curry, leading his team to the win. However, in the team’s second game of the season against the team that ended their playoff run last year, Doncic was the unequivocal star of the game.
Though the 1-1 start isn’t what he had hoped for, Doncic said he was happy he helped lead the team to a victory.
“I wish we won the first game, but obviously it’s a good comeback,” Doncic said postgame. “I think Minnesota is a great team. We had to do a lot to win today. But myself, I feel great. I want to win every game.”
Along with the 49 total, Doncic had 23 points in the first quarter alone, tying a Lakers quarter scoring record with Kobe Bryant and Kyle Kuzma. Regardless, despite a seeming motivation behind the scoring outburst, Doncic said it had nothing to do with the team’s
“Just want to forget about last season,” Doncic said. “I was trying to move on. I don’t really think about that first-round series.”
Just two games into the season, Doncic is off to a historic start. An average of 46 points per game across 82 regular-season games might be a tough mark to hit, but his highest scoring average is 33.9 per game, set in 2023-24, which now looks like an effortless number to match.
Lakers Coach JJ Redick Reveals Thoughts On Game
While Doncic still set or tied multiple scoring records while he led the Lakers to the win, head coach JJ Redick revealed he wanted the Slovenian star to score more.
Speaking after the game, Redick admitted he wanted Doncic to hit 50 points, which would have been his first time hitting the mark in a Lakers’ uniform. Despite multiple tries, Doncic was fouled and only hit one of his two free throws late in the fourth. He then was subbed out, but not after a solid effort by both him and Redick to reach a half-century in his home debut.
“I’m trying to get the guy 50, and yeah, I’d already given him three chances,” Redick recalled postgame. “I gave a fourth chance. He gets fouled, and then he blows that too
Redick also mentioned he was happy with how the roster as a whole performed against another top team in the West. Along with Reaves’ 25 points, Deandre Ayton and Rui Hachimura notably combined for 43 points, many of which came during the team’s strong run in the third quarter.
“I think for the first time in Lakers history, the other team called the first timeout in the third quarter,” Redick said. “Had a nice ‘all right, all right’ with the group. ‘All right, group, we did it!'”
With James still out, Doncic will likely continue to shine in Los Angeles, with Reaves and the rest of the roster filling in the cracks.
Packers Move On From Former Starter to Make Room for Christian Watson’s Return
The Packers are making a move this weekend, and what was a murky 53-man roster picture heading into Week 8’s big showdown with the Steelers appears to be clearing up.
Two of the big questions heading into the weekend were what the team would do with its kicking situation, where Brandon McManus is coming back from a quad injury while Lucas Havrisik has been surprisingly effective in his place, and whether Week 8 would see the return to action of Christian Watson, the star receiver who tore his ACL in the final week of the 2024 season.
On Saturday, ESPN reporter Rob Demovsky wrote on Twitter/X that the team has its solution to both problems, which is to cut tight end Ben Sims.
Wrote Demovsky: “The Packers are releasing TE Ben Sims, per source. That likely means they’re activating WR Christian Watson off PUP and keeping two kickers at least for another week.”
Packers’ Ben Sims Lost Playing Time
Sims was an undrafted tight end out of Baylor in 2023 who latched on with the team in August that year after he was let go by the Vikings. Sims played 17 games in each of the past two seasons, on both offense (he made six starts) and special teams, but has seen his role diminished this year.
Sims had some highlights from his time in Green bay, including a touchdown catch in the Packers’ 2023 upset of the Chiefs in a “Sunday Night Football” game that was part of the team’s remarkable second-half run.
But the Packers have relied more on John FitzPatrick as the third tight end behind Tucker Kraft and Luke Musgrave, rendering Sims extraneous.
Christian Watson Return Loading Up
Sims’ departure does pave the way for the Packers to have another roster spot for the return of Watson from a grueling knee injury rehab. He has been eager to play, and has been back at practice for two weeks in anticipation of his return on Sunday in Pittsburgh.
On Friday evening, Watson posted an Instagram video that indicated he was planning to play on Sunday.
On Friday, coach Matt LaFleur was uncertain about Watson’s return, hoping that one more practice might pave the way for Watson. “Let’s just get through the week and see where he’s at,” LaFleur said.
LaFleur said Watson will take on significant responsibility when he gets on the field, especially with Jayden Reed out and Matthew Golden questionable. “I think a lot of it is getting reacclimated, you’re talking about a long layoff without football. Just trying it build him up so he can handle the demands that are going to be placed on him on game day,” he said.
Packers Can Add Christian Watson, Keep Kickers
Heading into the weekend, the conventional logic held that the Packers would have to cut Havrisik to make a roster spot for Watson. But Green Bay is naturally reluctant to give up on Havrisik considering he has gone 10-for-10 for the team on kicks in the two weeks since McManus has been out.
Havrisik made four field goals, including a team-record 61-yarder last week against the Cardinals. Green Bay doesn’t want to lose McManus, but Havrisik is eight years younger (26) than McManus and could be the team’s kicker of the future.
No team likes to use roster spots for two kickers. LaFleur said the team will do it if necessary though, and for now, it appears necessary.
“Potentially, if it comes to that, if we absolutely have to. I’d rather not if I’m being honest about it. This situation could be a little bit different,” the coach said.
