From the above article:

No Luka Dončić. No LeBron James. No Marcus Smart and Gabe Vincent. Yet, Austin Reaves and the Lakers keep finding ways to win.

Reaves added another gem to what was already an amazing week in which he scored 51 and 41, by hitting the game-winner at the buzzer to lift the short-handed Lakers to another gritty road victory, 116–115 over the Timberwolves. The game wasn’t pretty, but it was the kind of win that shows character and depth, with several role players stepping up for the Lakers to survive at the end. These kind of wins make the team, make the team come together.

Furthermore, what was a great moment, a great early battle won, was one that could matter a lot in the long war that is the NBA season. The Lakers beat the Timberwolves for the second time in a week, which, if there won’t be any additional games because of the NBA Cup, means they already clinched the tiebreaker against an important Western Conference rival.

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Today’s notes:

A breakdown of the beautiful game winner that capped an ugly, hustle, find-a-way win (VIDEO)

When undermanned, you gotta win the hustle game

Jake LaRavia’s ultimate connector game

Deandre Ayton keeps showing the right things (VIDEO)

Dalton Knecht showing life

1-A breakdown of the beautiful game winner that capped an ugly, hustle, find-a-way win (VIDEO)

Without key superstars on both sides, this game had several ugly stretches. The Lakers once again started without the right level of physicality and had a terrible three-consecutive-turnover stretch with a weird lineup to close the first period. They almost replicated that with a couple of breakdowns and bad turnovers to close the third and again in the middle of the fourth. They also struggled late to make shots and punish the Wolves’ fourth quarter adjustment — an almost successful attempt with the zone defense.

But they did a lot of good in between (see next point) to build a 20-point lead, and it felt fitting for Reaves not to let that effort go to waste. With the game on the line, Reaves delivered big time once again.

On a night when Reaves had trouble finishing against the length of Jaden McDaniels and Rudy Gobert (he shot just 8-of-23 before the last shot but did have 16 assists) he and Deandre Ayton managed a last-second adjustment to create just enough daylight for Reaves to sink the game-winning floater. Post-game, Redick described in detail the preparation and the difficulty of facing the Wolves’ tactic of throwing curveballs by switching between man and zone defense — the main reason they erased the Lakers’ lead and took over with 10 seconds left. However, on the final play, Reaves and Ayton managed to find a solution on the fly, with Reaves splitting an awkward Rudy Gobert hedge, and Chris Finch admitting post-game it wasn’t the right call from him to defend the final possession.

2-When undermanned, you gotta win the hustle game

In my preview, I stated that until Dončić returns, the recipe for a Lakers win would be for Reaves to create enough offense to give the team a chance, and for the rest of the group to win — or at least stay even — in the hustle-possession battle. I highlighted Jarred Vanderbilt as the key player to lead the charge and set the tone with his energy and hustle.

After a slow start, the Lakers ramped up their physicality and were clearly the team that played with more force for most of the game. Vanderbilt was a demon on the offensive glass (he had six offensive rebounds), and he, LaRavia (more on his career night in the next point), and others created plenty of deflections, rotations, and other effort plays that helped the Lakers stay even in the turnover department.

source: Cleaning the Glass

Lakers’ turnovers continue to be a problem (understandable with every key ball-handler but Reaves on the injury report) but last night they more than made up for it with effort plays.

3–Jake LaRavia’s ultimate connector game

Jake LaRavia had an underwhelming start to his Lakers career, which Redick credited to him trying to adjust to a different, slower pace and a new role in an offense with such dominant on-ball creators like Dončić and Reaves. Last night, LaRavia exploded, scoring 27 points, grabbing 8 rebounds, and adding a steal and a block in 37 minutes.

Now, I don’t expect many other nights where LaRavia will shoot 10-of-11 from the field — that’s a once-a-season outlier for a role player. What impressed me, and gave me confidence that he can be a solid rotation contributor, were the effort plays, the countless deflections, the offensive rebounds, and the right reads on offense. Those are the same things that made me describe him as an intriguing connector when the Lakers signed him in the offseason.

For LaRavia to become more than a number 12, and to truly make his mark as a Laker, he’ll have to keep making those connecting plays, especially on defense.

source: CJ Fogler post on X

4–Deandre Ayton keeps showing the right things

If you’ve followed my game recaps, you’ve probably noticed that Ayton is the player I watch the most closely. The one I keep under the microscope. He’s an enigma, a unique talent, and the kind of player who could ultimately make or break this Lakers season. So far, he has mostly shown and done the right things. He struggled in the season opener — which was predictable given where the Warriors were compared to the Lakers at that point — and was so-so against Portland on the second night of a back-to-back. In the other three games, not coincidentally all wins, he’s been great. He had 15 and 8 against Gobert in the first matchup, then 22 and 15 against Domantas Sabonis, and 17 and 10 last night in the rematch with the Wolves.

What impressed me last night was the patience and composure he showed against the Wolves’ big men. Apart from one shot, Ayton didn’t force anything, he stayed patient and clinically finished the opportunities he got. Against Gobert, that meant shooting over him with his patented hooks and mid-range jumpers, while against the smaller Naz Reid, he was much more aggressive getting to the rim.

Ayton’s elite finishing is something I wrote about after James’ injury, when I highlighted him as a player who needed to step up and play a bigger role as a high-volume screening partner for both Dončić and Reaves. And it’s the screening that’s been the most surprising and positive development after the first five games. It’s the element that has opened new dimensions and paths for Reaves’ scoring out of the pick-and-roll — on display during his scoring outburst and most evident on that final game-winner.

5-Dalton Knecht showing life

Redick and the Lakers have been extremely patient with the sophomore Knecht. He was the central figure on offense during Summer League and logged the most minutes of any player in the preseason. Knecht got several chances in the first games of the season despite no end in sight to the shooting slump that started in the summer.

Last night, Knecht finally had a breakthrough, scoring 15 points on 7-of-15 shooting (though only 1-of-5 from beyond the arc), making several important plays on the move, and keeping the Lakers close during a key stretch in the first half when it looked like the Timberwolves might build a bigger lead. More importantly, Knecht was part of the hustle movement, surprisingly filling the box score with two blocks and a steal.

With Vincent out for an extended period and the Lakers likely being extremely cautious with Smart, the team will need Knecht and LaRavia to contribute off the bench. Redick mentioned the last game as a reference point for LaRavia. Hopefully, it can be one for Knecht as well.

Final stats 📊AR: 28 pts, 16 astJake: 27 pts, 8 rebDA: 17 pts, 10 reb, 3 astRui: 17 pts, 5 reb, 4 astDK: 15 pts, 2 blk pic.twitter.com/8GtxsnyXqW— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) October 30, 2025

AUSTIN REAVES THIS SEASON:26 PTS — 9 AST — 5 REB25 PTS — 11 AST — 7 REB51 PTS — 9 AST — 11 REB41 PTS — 5 AST — 4 REB28 PTS — 16 AST — 1 REBPUTTING UP NUMBERS https://t.co/QJG1OjBo5h pic.twitter.com/x6mlgq0C0T— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) October 30, 2025

This week is reaching Linsanity levels for Austin Reaves. Let the Reavesvolution continue.He hits the game winner at the buzzer to lift L.A. to 116-115 victory in MIN. 28 pts and 16 ast on the night. pic.twitter.com/tkvXMb5xyP— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) October 30, 2025

Every shot from Austin Reaves to tie or take the lead in the last 24 seconds pic.twitter.com/1yHZ1XFJio— Pitless (@pitlessball) October 30, 2025

POSTGAME SCENES IN MINNY Austin Reaves celebrates with his @Lakers family after hitting the @TISSOT buzzer-beater for the win!! pic.twitter.com/hXJGev43nl— NBA (@NBA) October 30, 2025

Mark Walter explains his vision for the Lakers and why he wants Jeanie Buss to continue in her current role. pic.twitter.com/1Lb4nAsXfk— Ramona Shelburne (@ramonashelburne) October 30, 2025