Lakers find solution to team while LeBron, Dončić rehab from injuries

The Los Angeles Lakers received unfortunate news on Sunday that star point guard Luka Dončić will miss at least a week due to a thumb injury.

Dončić will join LeBron James on the injury reserve list as the forty-year-old recovers from a sciatica problem that will have him out until mid-November.

Without the two superstars for a chunk of the beginning of their season, it will most definitely be more difficult to win games.

However, on Sunday night, the Lakers secured a win over the Sacramento Kings due to their new game plan, which could be simplified as giving the ball to Austin Reaves and letting him work.

Reaves had a career-high 51 points and added an impressive 11 rebounds and nine assists, one away from a triple-double.

The 6-foot-5 guard has come into his own as a great player in this league over the past few years and is the third option on a stacked roster.

He is the type of guy you wonder what he would do if he were the leader of his own team. 

Thankfully for the Lakers, he was there to save them in their third game of the season, as he shot 12-of-22 from the field and 6-of-10 from three. 

Reaves was able to pressure the Kings' defense enough and ended the game 21-of-22 from the free throw line, making him a plus-22 in just a seven-point win.

He has started this season off amazingly, and there is no better time to do it.

Reaves is in the final year of his contract and will look to get his money's worth next offseason.

Of course, this is a team game, and Reaves couldn’t have done this without the support of his team.

Deandre Ayton had his first great game as a Laker, scoring 22 points and reeling in 15 rebounds.

He showed better defensive awareness, holding Domantas Sabonis, one of the league's best inside scorers, to just 10 points.

Without James and Dončić, we may see more late-game Austin Reaves takeovers like Sunday, and head coach JJ Redick will have no choice but to trust the 27-year-old with the game.

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