Thats what we need: Austin Reaves rebounds in

OKLAHOMA CITY — Austin Reaves has formally entered the Lakers’ postseason chat. It may still be too little, too late.

The Lakers guard responded to his worst playoff efficiency with his best, recording a playoff career-high 31 factors Thursday in the Lakers’ 125-107 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder at Paycom Center.

But against the highly effective Thunder, Reaves didn’t get a likelihood to punctuate his comeback evening with any emphatic celebration. He instead ended the sport in a heated dialog with officers, surrounded by virtually all of his teammates as the Lakers felt they have been battling the referees and the Thunder in equal measure.

Reaves’ game-high scoring effort wasn’t enough to fend off the relentless defending champions that had six gamers rating in double figures, including three with 20 or more factors. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Chet Holmgren each had 22 factors for the Thunder, who take a 2-0 lead as the best-of-seven sequence turns to Los Angeles for Game 3 on Saturday.

With Luka Doncic sidelined because of a hamstring injury that is anticipated to keep him out for three more weeks, the Lakers are still outmanned in the Western Conference semifinals despite Reaves’ current return. He rushed back from a Grade 2 left indirect pressure in time to play in the Lakers’ first-round sequence but has struggled to discover his rhythm after a month-long absence.

He shot a dreadful three for 16 from the sector in Game 1 against the Thunder, completed with only eight factors and missed all 5 of his three-point photographs. Including his two first-round video games, Reaves had missed 14 consecutive three-pointers getting into Game 2.

Criticism of Reaves dominated social media after Game 1. The 27-year-old guard is due for a new contract this summer time that would solidify his standing as one of the game’s star gamers. A slow start to these playoffs and last 12 months’s postseason struggles made Reaves an online punching bag for fan frustrations.

But the low-key Reaves is “one of the least chronically online NBA players there is,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said before the sport. The extent of Reaves’ social media usage is his long-time buddy Trent Swaim posting {golfing} videos on the duo’s “Hillbilly Bogey” accounts and Reaves asking his representatives to post sponsored content for his endorsement offers.

He doesn’t need to troll web feedback to fuel his sport. Reaves can do that on his own.

“He’s got a great sense of self-accountability to where he’s his own worst critic,” Redick said before the sport, “and he’s going to hold himself to a standard of how he wants to play.”

Reaves drove aggressively into the paint early Thursday, tying the rating 16-16 in the first quarter on a three-point play after the Lakers erased an early seven-point deficit. He had 13 factors in the first half as the Lakers took a one-point lead into the locker room. He scored or assisted on the Lakers’ first 11 factors of the third quarter as the staff constructed a five-point lead with 8:35 to go in the third.

“That’s what we need Austin to be,” guard Luke Kennard said. “Even though he missed some shots last game, he was aggressive and he just got back into it. … I know a lot of people can think it’s easy to just come back and play a basketball game but at this level, what he’s done last series and now, it’s impressive. We need him to continue to be aggressive. He’s such a good teammate, easy to play with. It’s good to see him have a really good game and, hopefully gives him confidence going into the next one.”

The Lakers need to play near-perfect basketball to have a likelihood to knock off the defending champions. The Thunder took a 2-0 sequence lead against the Lakers despite comparatively quiet performances from Gilgeous-Alexander. The reigning most invaluable participant had 18 factors in Game 1 and was restricted to less than 28 minutes Thursday because of foul bother.

When Gilgeous-Alexander picked up his fourth foul with 10:34 remaining in the third quarter Thursday, the Thunder trailed 66-61. They didn’t need their star to rip off a 32-14 run to end the quarter and take a commanding 13-point lead into the fourth.

The Lakers had seven turnovers during the decisive stretch. Reaves had 5 of the Lakers’ 21 complete giveaways and the miscues turned into 26 factors for the Thunder, who led the league in factors off turnovers during the common season.

“It starts with the turnovers,” Reaves said. “I think you’re not going to be perfect; you’re going to have turnovers. Just trying to eliminate the live-ball turnovers where they get easy fast-break layups or threes or dunks.”